Teen Titans: Predator
by Straightedge127
Summary: One year after the events of Trouble In Tokyo, the Titans meet an unknown vigilante, whom they take into their aide. Is he an ally or does he pose as a threat? What is his backstory? What are his powers? Can they trust him as a new member of the team?
1. Chapter 1: Predator and Prey

_**Teen Titans: Predator**_

 _ **Chapter 1:**_

It was a cold and quiet night in Jump City when a 16-year old male with medium length black hair and a scar on his right eye, forcefully shoved an average sized adult male wearing a black leather jacket and ripped up jeans against the wall with one arm. The teens expression was mixed with anger and frustration as he let out a ferocious growl, striking fear into the man. The teen wore a tight red and black spandex bodysuit—hands covered and all—with three black tiger stripes on his waist on each side. Next were his red and black boots that went up to his calfs.

On his back was a claw shaped logo with a bold red _' **P** '_ in the center and two more stripes which trailed from the front of his thighs—covering it in all black—all the way to his shoulder blades. His arms had black lining which trailed from his shoulders, down to his middle fingers. Finally, a domino mask with sharp points at the end rested on his face, covering his eyes.

"Where is he?!" The teen asked in a tough gritty tone.

"I-I don't know what you're talkin' about." The man cried unsteadily.

"My ears can tell a lie when they hear one. Now tell me where he is or else I'll break every bone in your body!"

"I really don't know what you're _talkin'_ about, man."

"Red X! Tell me where he is!" He said, punching a hole in the wall.

"Who's Red X? I-I don't know _what_ you're talkin' about, man. Please just let me go!" The man begged. The teen sniffed the man's jacket and a very familiar scent escaped from him.

"You've got his scent on you. My nose doesn't lie." The teen growled, forcing the man to sweat. "You know where he is...and you're gonna tell me. Now start talking before I let my claws talk for me."

"Okay, okay." The man breathed. "The Red X, he...he wanted to know where he could find-" From out of nowhere, an X shaped shurriken collided against the man's skull, shocking the teen and forcing him to drop the now unconscious thug. He quickly looked in the direction it came and noticed a shadowy figure on a rooftop, fleeing from the scene.

The teen narrowed his eyebrows and growled. He quickly rushed towards the figures destination and jumped as high as he could, gripping the wall with his claws. He grunted as he jumped towards the roof again until he reached the top. He crawled about on all fours, searching for the figure but he was nowhere to be found. He rose to his feet and looked around some more until he noticed a small piece of black fabric lying on the ground. He picked it up and brought it to his nose.

He took a whiff and a wry smile grew on his cheeks. He threw it on the ground and followed the scent of leather, leading him towards his suspect.

* * *

A few minutes passed until the trail ended and he finally located the source of the trail. Unfortunately there was no sign of any life whatsoever. A look of confusion rose upon his face as he searched around a little more. No progress. Then all of a sudden, he heard something flying towards him at an unbelievable speed.

He quickly turned and leaned to the side, avoiding another X-shaped shurriken, flying towards the back of his head. He growled and glared at the culprit who threw it at him. A tall, scrawny figure wearing a completely black bodysuit with a red-x placed right over his left pectoral muscle, an ash-gray utility belt with matching gloves that had red Xs on the palms and back of the hands, a pair of black boots with steel-soles and a black cape that had an ash-gray interior.

His mask was a white skull, without a lower jaw, and a red x starting on his forehead, which ended beneath his right eye. His eyes were white reflective lenses.

"Lookin' for me, Wild Boy?" Red X asked, his voice slightly mechanical. He was pointed his hand out at the teen—a glowing red X emitting from his palms.

"The name's Predator, dirtbag." He retorted as he and Red X found themselves in a standoff, not once taking their eyes off each other. "I've been hunting you down all day, actually. I know what you did back there and now you're gonna pay!"

"Listen kid, I'd think this through if I were you." Red X warned. "Do you really think you stand a chance against me? I'm the one with the fancy gadgets...you, on the other hand have those wild animals inside you that make your eyes do that glow thing and turn you into a freak of nature. Does this seem like a fair fight to you?"

"Let's find out." Predator answered turning his eyes golden brown, sharpening his teeth and morphing his fingers into claws. He knelt down on all fours and roared a mighty roar.

"Ooh, a lion. I'm so scared." Red X admired sarastically.

"You should be." Predator said, his voice a little deeper than before. He charged at him on all fours like an actual lion. Red X stood his ground and once again pointed his palms out at him. Predator came to a stop and stood back on his feet, readying himself for what was coming. A wave of sharp, explosive red Xs rapidly shot out of Red X's palms flying towards Predator at a fast rate.

Predator morphed his eyes into those of a cheetah and ran a circle around him at an unbelievable speed. Red X however, did not ceasefire, although Predator's speed and agility got the absolute best of him.

Red X's palms suddenly started to malfunction and they stopped firing as clouds of steam started to shoot out of them. Predator came to a stop and smirked evilly.

"Huh, that hasn't happened in a while." Red X said as he ran away and leaped on another rooftop. Predator gritted his teeth and gave chase, following Red X from one rooftop to the next, attempting his absolute best to catch him.

After a few minutes, Red X leaped onto a higher building and came to a stop, realizing there was no other rooftop in sight. He heard Predator grunt from behind with not even a drop of sweat falling from his forehead.

"What's the matter? Scared to face a wild animal without your toys?" Predator teased.

"Actually..." Red X panted. "The old belts just running outta juice. Doesn't mean she has no fight left in her." He finished as the Xs on the back of his hands turned into X-blades. "Now how about we end this wild goose chase and let the real fun begin?"

"Thought you'd never ask." Predator agreed with a grin. His eyes began to glow bright yellow and his ears grew pointy while a little bit of fur grew on his cheeks. He crouched down and roared like an angry wolf. They charged at each other; the tension rising as the two opponents grew closer and closer to each other.

Red X threw his blades down but Predator effortlessly stood on both feet and caught both his wrists before either one could impale him. They glared at each other eye to eye with hatred until Red X kicked him away, causing him to grunt. Predator grasped his abdomen and quickly dodged an incoming thrust, followed by a parry.

Predator threw a round house punch but Red X avoided it and cut him in the hip, ripping part of his outfit and leaving a small, bloody scratch. Unaffected by the attack, Predator retaliated with a roundhouse kick, connecting to Red X's rib cage. Red X steadied himself and quickly charged at him again.

Predator jumped up and somersaulted over him, avoiding another incoming thrust and landed behind him on all fours. Red X turned and was caught by two hard punches to the jaw followed by another flying roundhouse. Red X performed another series of attacks; two of them managing to cut Predator across his chest and left bicep. Predator grunted but managed to avoid the rest.

Predator blocked another attack and landed a few punches to his abdomen, followed by a headbutt to the chest. Red X staggered backwards a little. Predator hit him with a running knee, followed by another punch. Unfortunately, Red X blocked it and threw a punch of his own, colliding against his left eye. Predator threw off the pain and managed to catch another imcoming attack. Predator growled and fell on his back, forcing Red X to fall as well. Predator shot both legs up and kicked him into the air, flipping him over on the hard ground.

Predator kip-upped off the ground and slammed his foot towards Red X's head, but he swiftly rolled to the side. He sweep kicked Predator off his feet and connected a hook kick to his abdomen, sending him flying through the air. Predator grunted as he rolled on the ground. He quickly recovered mid roll and caught himself before he fell off the ledge.

He took the advantage to let his healing factor to take into effect but it was really taking its time in doing so.

"Guess that healing factor isn't as reliable as you thought."

Predator narrowed his eyebrows as he felt the bloody cut on his chest slowly disappear.

"I'll admit, you've got moves kid." Red X said, putting the blades away. "But that anger of yours makes you way too predictable."

Predator growled angrily and morphed his eyes into those of an American black bear. He charged at him enraged and threw his claws at him twice. Red X managed to dodge them both and kneed him in the stomach. Predator grunted in pain, falling down to his knees. Though becoming increasingly tired, he managed to gather enough willpower to throw another claw towards his face. Red X sucked back and kneed him in the chin, standing him back on his feet.

Predator was caught by two hard punches and another kick to his lower chest, pushing him backwards and rolling on his back. He struggled to stand back on his feet but was kicked in the rib cage again, forcing him to roll on his back. Red X jumped up and threw his foot down.

Predator managed to catch him before he could land on his chest. With a loud grunt, he forcefully pushed Red X to the side. He slowly stood back up to his feet gasping for air—his back turned to Red X. He turned and was surprised when Red X pulled the front of his mask and smacked it against his face. Predator grunted loudly and grasped his eyes, staggering uncontrollably.

"That never gets old." Red X chuckled. Predator let go of his face and felt an unbearable burn in his eyes. He felt the red mark in his eyes throb rapidly against his sclera. He was suddenly yanked by the wrist and hit with another punch to the left eye—leaving a huge mark—followed by an uppercut. Predator tried to swing a punch of his own but Red X blocked it and sent him flying through the air with a hard punch.

"I told you, kid: you never stood a chance." Red X said, watching Predator slowly rise on one knee. "You're just like the others. A pitiful waste of precious resources. The next time you wanna fight, you might wanna learn how to control your temper. Until then..." He pulled out a small canister and rolled it on the ground towards the battered and bruised Predator. Predator stared at the can for a second until a large red cloud of what seemed like teargas blew out of it and started to choke him to death, his eyes being forced to water as well.

Predator's coughing increased as his vision became blurry. His breathing became unsteady and his throat became clogged. At that point, couldn't tell what was going on. He suddenly started to see a series of flashes in his eyes until everything slowly went dark.

"And one more thing, kid." Red X said, approaching him. "The tides have changed. I'm the real predator...and you're the prey." He kicked Predator off the roof and sent him falling into the darkness below.

* * *

 _Meanwhile_

"Man, I cannot wait. All-You-Can-Eat Pizza Friday" Cyborg said jovially, as he drove the T-Car along the road towards his and the Titans favorite pizza joint. Robin, the team leader sat in the second seat while Starfire, Raven and Beast Boy sat in the back.

"Indeed." Starfire agreed. "I am also excited to enjoy the tangy goodness of the yellow beverage."

"Starfire, we told you..." Robin said with a smile to his girlfriend. "That's mustard. It's not exactly meant for drinking."

"Wait a second..." Cyborg said, noticing Beast Boy sticking his head out the window in the shape of a dog drooling uncontrollably again. "Yo, what did I tell you about getting drool on my car?!" He yelled, his teeth sharpened.

"Ehehe, whoops. I forgot." Beast Boy chuckled, shifting back into his normal form.

"You know what, just for that I'm getting pepperoni as soon as we get there." Cyborg threatened.

"Dude, you wouldn't!" He yelled offended.

"Oh yeah I will. Maybe that'll make you think twice before getting your slobber all over my baby."

"Dude, I said I was sorry. Come on, you're not really gonna eat meat in front of me all because I got a little drool on your car."

"The fact that you two are arguing about this just proves how frustrating it is to read around you." Raven said looking up from her book while a red nerve vibrated on her forehead. "And also, it's All-You-Can-Eat, so it really doesn't matter what pizza you get when we get there."

"But still, I've been one of those animals, so eating it in front of me makes me uneasy."

"Beast Boy, it's not the first time we've had meat around you. So I wouldn't really make such a big deal out of it." Robin suggested.

"But dude-"

"Look, let's just try not to worry about it. Right now, let's enjoy the night while it's still young and not make a big deal out of small things, okay?"

"Ugh, fine." Beast Boy said crossing his arms.

"Finally." Raven muttered relieved that she could focus on her book again. For the last few seconds, everything was quiet until:

 ** _"BASH! KLANG!"_ ** A large human-shaped obstacle came crashing down into the hood of the T-Car, the rolling against the windshield smashing the glass in the process.

"WHOA!" Cyborg exclaimed in shock as he slammed his foot on the break. Robin's eyes widened as he tightly gripped onto his seat. The car slid heavily, leaving skid marks in the road. It eventually came to a stop as the figure fell off the car and rolled on the pavement.

"Is everybody all right?" Robin asked, checking the backseat to make sure everyone was okay.

"I believe I am unharmed." Starfire said, her eyes widened and her hair a little messy. Beast Boy had his arms wrapped tight around Raven—his mouth wide open and his eyes as big as saucers. Raven's eyes were wide for a second until she glared at Beast Boy and used her telekinesis to get him off.

"Aside from everything else, I think I'm alright, too." Raven said. "What was that?"

"I don't know; it was big, though." Robin said. "Come on, let's check it out."

They all stepped out of the now slightly damaged car. Cyborg, out of consent for his 'baby' immediately started bawling his eyes out.

"Aww not again! How many times does this have to happen?" He cried, grasping his head and falling to his knees.

"Cyborg, we'll worry about the car later. Right now we need to figure out what _fell_ on the car." Raven said.

"Well whatever or _whoever_ it was, they better hope I don't put them through the-"

"Uh, guys?" Beast Boy called pointing at a person lying on the road. Starfire gasped as they quickly rushed towards him. They quickly noticed the ' ** _P_** ' on his back.

"What is it?" Beast Boy asked.

"Not what...who?" Robin corrected as he rolled the person on his back revealing multiple bruises, cuts, bloodstains and a scar on his right eye which seemed to have already dried up.

"Is he..." Starfire asked nervously.

"I don't think so. He's badly injured but I think he'll be okay." Robin answered hearing the teen quietly moan in pain. "Can you hear me? Don't worry, we're gonna get you out of here. C'mon guys, help me get him in the car, we need to get him back to the tower."

"Now? But what about pizza?" Beast Boy whined.

"No time. We need to get him some medical attention, quick." Robin said as he and Raven carried the masked teenager into the T-Car. "Cyborg, is the car still functional?"

"It's just some minor damage but it should get us back to the tower fast enough."

"Then just get us there as fast as you can. Beast Boy, you, Raven and Starfire keep him stable until we get there." Robin ordered as he and Cyborg got back in the car.

Beast Boy sighed in disappointment as he got into the car, where Starfire and Raven were already aiding the young vigilante. His head rested on Raven's lap while his torso rested on Star's. Beast Boy lifted the teen's legs and placed them on his lap, trembling in disgust from the multiple wounds.

"Do not worry, friend." Starfire said calmingly to the unconscious boy. "You are in good hands."

"Yeah, and hopefully he can use his hands to make us a few pizzas to make up for tonight." Beast Boy said under his breath.

"Any idea who he could be?" Cyborg asked.

"Not sure. But from the way he's dressed, I've a feeling this was no accident." Robin replied, glancing back at the teen as the car headed it's way back to Titans Tower.

To Be Continued...


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2:**_

Predator lied unconscious in the infirmary found inside Titans Tower. His breathing was quiet but unsteady and his heart beat at a slightly normal rate. The Titans stood in the other room keeping an eye on his heart rate while Cyborg searched the computer for any known information about him.

"You really think it was a good idea bringing some guy we don't know to the tower?" Beast Boy asked. "I mean sure, he's dressed like a superhero and all, but how do we know he's not some sort of homicidal maniac or something like that?"

"We don't. That's why we're trying to figure out who he is and where he's from." Robin said, leaning against the wall. "Besides, we couldn't just leave him in the street like that, we had to help him, we had no other choice. Cyborg, did you find anything?"

"So far, I've got nothing—even from the Jump City system. Police reports, Public records, nothing." Cyborg said.

"Keep searching. Check if there's any info on him from any nearby cities."

"Already on it."

"Raven, how is he holding up? Have you uncovered a name?"

"I managed to heal a majority of his wounds but he's gonna be fine. However his injuries clearly state he was in some sort of fight; luckily they didn't do so much damage to get the job done." Raven explained.

"But who would wish to cause such brutal, bodily harm to him?" Starfire asked.

"I dunno, Star, but no matter what, we're going to find out who the culprit is and bring him to justice."

"I've got something." Cyborg announced. He pulled up a news print from the Gotham News.

"What've you got?" Robin asked, leaning on the keyboard.

"GCPD has had numerous reports of another young, unknown vigilante hunting down criminals all over Gotham. Authorities thought it was another assailant of Batman but it was proven false via statements from the thugs he's put behind bars." Cyborg read. He scrolled down to a picture of Predator standing on the side of a building, covering his face from a spotlight shining upon him.

"Well at least we know he's a good guy." Beast Boy said. "But does he have a name?"

"A few of Black Masks gang members and various other criminals say he goes by the name: 'Predator'. According to them, his eyes and teeth would change into that of a wild animal then after that, he'd turn into a full blown carnivore. However the other parts of his body remained the same."

"So technically speaking, he's a shapeshifter?" Raven asked. Beast Boy's eyes widened after he heard this.

"Beast Boy, I did not know you had the brother." Starfire said, placing a fist on her chin.

"I-I don't...I mean, I don't think I do." Beast Boy stuttered.

"I don't think Beast Boy and Predator are related, Star. Last I checked, Beast Boy's an only child." Robin said. "If they were, I'm pretty sure Beast Boy would remember. Plus it says he only turns into carnivores. Beast Boy can turn into any animal he wants."

"I guess I was too quick to assume the obvious."

"But now that we know who he is, the only thing left to do now is figure out who attacked him and why. Another thing is, what's he doing in Jump City if he originated in Gotham?"

"Do you think it was Black Mask or one of his goons?" Raven asked.

"I don't think so." Cyborg said. He switched the computer to a security camera, facing a frustrated Black Mask pacing the floor inside a prison cell. "GCPD security shows Black Mask is still locked away in Arkham Asylum, and from the news report it seems he could've handled his goons, no problem."

"So if it wasn't the Black Mask, then who else would it be? Starfire asked.

"Cyborg do you think you can check the Jump City street cameras from before he fell on the car?" Robin suggested. "Maybe there's some footage that could help us indicate who it was."

"I already tried that. Unfortunately, Jump City cameras only caught the part when he fell on the car. They wouldn't be able to look that high up a building, anyway. Other than that, I've got nothing else to go on."

"Well then, there goes our only lead to finding out who did this. Now what are we supposed to do?" Beast Boy asked.

"Nothing more we _can_ do other than wait until he comes to, and who knows how long that'll be?"

"Actually..." Raven said. "I think I know one other way to talk to him." The other four Titans stared at her suspiciously.

* * *

Inside the infirmary, the five Titans surrounded themselves around the unconscious Predator. They then redirected their attention to Raven.

"Are you sure you're up for this, Raven?" Robin asked, concerned.

"There's no other option other than waiting. All I have to do is work my way into his head and I should be able to communicate with his subconsciousness. If that doesn't work I should be able to go through his memories and see if I can find out who attacked him. Maybe I can try to wake him up while I'm there, too." Raven explained, approaching Predator's body and placing her hand on his forehead, causing him to flinch.

"So, how long will it take for you to get all flashy and telekinetic on his brain and stuff?" Beast Boy asked.

"Don't know, but it requires serious concentration...that means no unnecessary distractions, Beast Boy."

"Oh please, do be careful, friend Raven. Do come back safely." Starfire pleaded.

"I'm just going into his head, Starfire. There's nothing to worry about. I'll be back before you guys know it." That being said, Raven levitated herself into her usual meditative position, closed her eyes and did her best to concentrate.

"Azarath...Metrion...Zinthosss..." Her eyes opened, revealing a pair of glowing white sapphires. Her body was covered in a dark aura until a raven shaped spirit rose above her head and gracefully flew around the room until it phased into Predator's head.

* * *

"Uhh..." Predator moaned lifting his upper body and grasping his forehead. "What happened...where am I?" He took a hold of his surroundings but there was literally nothing...nothing but complete darkness. Everywhere he looked there was nothing but darkness.

 _"Predator..."_ An unfamiliar voice suddenly called in a spiritual, echoey tone.

"What the?" He said, looking around.

 _"Predator, can you hear me? I'm here to help."_

"Who said that? What's going on? How do you know my name?" Predator asked aggressively, clenching his fists in the chance a fight would occur.

 _"Relax, everything is going to be all right; I'm communicating with you through your subconsciousness. I want to talk to you but I_ need _you to trust me."_ The voice said in an assuring voice.

"Who are you!?" He growled, aggravated..

A stinging pain in his head shook him out of his anger and forced to grasp his head again, grunting and growling in pain. The intensity grew more intense after every second. His body suddenly grew a dark aura and his eyes shot open. A dark wave of dark energy shot out if his forehead, causing him to scream. It shot through the darkness, taking the form of a large raven with glowing red eyes—its wings spread wide open.

Predator dropped to his knees, panting heavily. He looked up at the large bird, quickly jumping to his feet, glaring at it as he readied himself for whatever was coming. The raven suddenly diminished in size, making him raise an eyebrow. The raven then evaporated into a beautiful—yet very pale girl with violet eyes and hair. She wore a bluish-black long-sleeved indigo outfit with a red and gold belt covered in jewels while her legs were exposed. Next were her blue ruffled ankle boots. Finally, a large blue cloak with a hood in the back and a red jewel held together by a gold plate on the chest area covered a majority of her body. The look on her face was nothing but emotionless. Predator stared at the girl confused as she approached him.

"My name is Raven. I know we haven't met, but believe me, I'm a friend and I'm here to help you.

"Where...where did you come from? How do you know who I am?"

"I'll explain that later. Right now, there's something more important that you and I need to talk about."

"And if I refuse?"

"That would be the last thing you would want." She warned.

"How do I know I can trust you? And don't lie to me, my ears can tell a lie when they hear one—and I hate liars."

"Because if you couldn't, then your wounds would've never healed and you would've died."

"Wounds? What wounds?" He asked, confused.

"The wounds that I managed to heal back in the tower. Someone attacked you and I need you to-"

"Wait I was...what? What're you talking about, when was I attacked, in fact when was I even in a fight?"

"Predator, this is no time for games; I need you to focus. I need you to help me help you, so we can search for the person responsible for bringing you harm."

"Hey, I'm being as serious as you can possibly imagine and trust me, I'm not one for jokes." He answered sternly. "If I was ever in a fight, then I would have remembered. Not only that; I would go on a wild hunting spree for the freak who 'attacked' me for as long as it took. Trust me, that never happens because the person who attacks me is either left behind bars or in the hospital."

"You mean...you really don't remember?" She asked, narrowing her eyebrows.

"I'm serious. In no specific time—except probably a few days ago—do I remember being in a fight, nor do I recall being attacked." He said, a little frustrated but more confused than ever. Raven stared at him in disbelief. How could he not remember the attack; most notably his attacker? Has he come down with amnesia? No, he wouldn't even remember who _he_ was if he did. An idea suddenly popped in her head and she narrowed her eyebrows.

"Give me your hand." She ordered.

"What? What for?"

"Just give me your hand. There's something I need to check."

"Wait a second, first you fly inside my head, then you tell me I was in some sort of fight— _which_ I don't remember—now you're telling me to-hey!" Without a warning, she forcefully grabbed his hand, brought it towards her face and closed her eyes.

"What the-" He snapped until she shushed him. "What are you-" She shushed him again, receiving a glare. After a few seconds she opened her eyes and said:

"Your brain...it's been tampered with."

"What? How the...how did you-"

"Listen, you were in a fight and you lost. But you don't remember because someone somehow managed to wipe some important information from your brain. There's a gap in one of your brain cells which is why you don't remember it." She explained.

"But...wouldn't that mean I'd have amnesia?"

"I thought that was the case, too. But for you to remember who you are and that you have powers, clearly indicates that this is no case of amnesia. Your memory from tonight has been completely erased." Predator looked down and the stress from everything she said started to get to him.

"How...how is that even possible?"

"The only way someone would be capable of doing that is either with a certain drug...or with magic."

"I...I don't..." He muttered, grabbing his head and squatting down to the floor.

"I know it's hard to believe, but please, I need you to trust me. If you come with me, I might be able to free you from your subconscious and you should be able to wake back up in the real world. We can talk about this some more back in the tower."

"There's still something I don't understand..." He said, looking up at her. "And it's not about my memory...it's about you. Why would you go through the trouble of trying to help me? Why are you so keen on trying to find someone for me, even though the situation doesn't even involve you? You don't even know who I am nor anything about me."

"Because, I'm a Teen Titan and my job is to help those who are in need—including those with powers stuck in situations they're not sure how to handle." She answered, reaching her hand out to him. "Now come with me; my friends and I will try to help you figure this out." He slowly wrapped his hand around hers and she helped him to his feet.

"Friends...you mean there's more of you?"

"Yes, a lot more. Don't worry, there'll be nothing to worry about once you meet them." She said with an assured smile.

"Maybe not for them but for me it's...different. I have this problem with aggression and it gets pretty out of hand." He retorted.

"Hey, you're a carnivore. They're considered the most aggressive creatures on the planet. To be honest, I know what it's like. I'm half demon."

"Great, now you know my powers? Seriously, you're gonna have to tell me how that whole telekinetic brain thing works." He said, with a wry smile. "Anyway, how exactly do you plan on getting me out of here?"

"Close your eyes..." She instructed, doing the same thing. "Take a deep breath and concentrate." He did what he was told and stayed in that state for a while. "By the way...if my friend with the green skin tells you a joke, don't laugh at it. It encourages him to keep going."

"Like I said, I'm not one for jokes...you have a friend with green skin?"

"Yeah. He kinda almost has the same powers as you, but he can be really annoying about it. He's also sensitive to people eating meat around him."

"Huh...he and I should get along great then." He said sarcastically. He shut his eyes and a bright light flashed into his eyes.

* * *

 _Back in the real world_

"I'm never letting her that again." Predator groaned, rubbing his forehead as he sat up from the hospital bed. Looking upwards, he noticed five people staring at him crowding the space around him.

One was a spiky haired teen with a domino mask—almost similar to his but without the pointy ends—wearing a red and yellow armored vest with an 'R' inside a black circle on the left pectoral area with a green shirt underneath. Next were his green tights on his legs and a long black cape.

Another was a tall fiery-red haired girl with orange skin and green eyes—white included. Her outfit consisted of a violet sleeveless crop top showing her midriff, a violet mini-skirt, and violet thigh-high boots with white stockings. The gauntlets on her neck and forearms brands of silver.

The third was a short, scrawny teen with green skin, green eyes, green hair and a sharp tooth sticking out of his lip. His outfit consisted of a purple and black bodysuit with purple and black shoes. Predator concluded it was the guy Raven was talking about.

The fourth was a buffed individual with the right part of his head and arms revealed as the only parts with natural human skin, while the rest of his body was replaced with blue cybernetic parts and his left eye a glowing red one. And finally, the fifth was none other than Raven. Predator screamed in shock. jumping out of the bed and placing himself into a fighting position.

"Where am I? Who are you people?" He snapped, gritting his teeth and growling.

"Easy, Predator." Raven said. "I told you there's nothing to worry about. These are my friends, remember? Robin, Cyborg, Starfire and Beast Boy." Predator stood up straight and stared at them.

"Right...sorry about that. I'm not used to being surrounded by strangers." He said. They all nodded. "Anyway, thanks for saving me back there."

"Not a problem." Robin responded. "And, that's what we wanted to talk to you about, actually. What happened to you? Who attacked you and why?"

"And threw you onto _my_ car?" Cyborg added displeased.

"I landed on your car?" Predator asked surprised. "Wow, I'm surprised I'm still even alive. But listen, I wish I could tell you guys what happened, but...I can't remember anything."

"What?!" Almost all of them exclaimed.

"His brain has been tampered with." Raven said. "Someone somehow managed to wipe away his memory from not only the fight but the entire day itself. He can remember everything from the day before and so on, but he can't recall anything else. My best guess is, we're dealing with another magician. One that has the power to erase someone's memories in probably the blink of an eye. One things for sure, whoever did it, really wanted to get him off their tracks."

"But what sort of magician would have the ability to force someone's memories to be erased from their mind?" Starfire asked.

"The only person I know who's capable of such magic would be Zatanna Zatara the sorceress, but she's a good guy. Plus, if she was anywhere in Jump City, I would have sensed it. As far as she goes, there's no one else who comes to mind." Raven explained.

"Well, Titans, looks like this is going to be a lot harder than we thought." Robin announced. "With Predator's memories being wiped out and no known leads or camera footage, it'll be very difficult to find our culprit."

"So what now; do we keep investigating or do we wait until something comes up?" Cyborg asked.

"Whatever it is, can we do it tomorrow?" Beast Boy asked, yawning. "It's almost midnight and you guys know how I get when I don't get my beauty sleep."

"He's right...we'll need to get some rest if we want to find our culprit...and without any possible leads, I highly doubt that'll happen any time soon. Until then, this investigation will have to be put on hold. Predator, I think it'd be best if you stayed here for a while. Maybe something will come up once you get a little rest."

"That sounds great and all, but I don't really-"

"Oh but you must!" Starfire interrupted, leaning a little too close to his face, shocking him and widening his eyes. "It would mean so much if you stayed with us so that we could help you the best that we can. And perhaps, we could also get to know so much more about you."

"Uh...I guess I could...stick around for a while?" Predator gave in. "Is she always like that?" He whispered to Raven.

"Trust me, this is _nothing_ compared to what she does on a daily basis."

"Glorious!" Starfire exclaimed, folding her hands together. "Then let us welcome our new friend with an honorary glork feast."

"Uh, actually, Starfire, it's a little late for that. We've already agreed to turn in for tonight." Robin said, grabbing her hand.

"But I-"

"I know you're excited about Predator staying with us but we need to give him some space. He's had a long and complicated night and I think it'd be best if we hold off on any celebrations and let him relax...at least until tomorrow, okay?"

"Very well then." She agreed with a frown.

"Come on, Predator, we'll show you to your room." Robin said, heading towards the exit. Raven, Cyborg and Starfire followed along while Predator stood there for a second then followed lastly. Beast Boy hastily ran up to him with a smile. Once in the hallway, Beast Boy decided to open up a conversation, looking up at him as if he was already his best friend.

"So you can morph into animals, too?" He asked.

"How'd ya guess?" Predator answered blankly, his deep voice nearly startling him.

"We read about you in the Gotham News...is it true you can only morph into carnivores and that your eyes and teeth are the only things that change into said carnivore?"

"Something like that...yeah."

"So if you wanted to morph into a goldfish?"

"My eyes, teeth and spirit would turn into a shark or killer whale." Predator finished.

"And if you wanted to be a puppy?"

"I'd turn into a rabid dog or feral wolf, instead." He finished again. "That's actually something I'd prefer to be, anyway."

"Hmm, well then don't you think you would have been more comfortable with 'Carnivore Kid' instead?" Beast Boy joked. Predator's expression indicated he wasn't very amused.

"Real funny, Stringbean. Where'd you learn that—Joker's Handbook for Dummies?" Predator smirked, moving ahead as everyone burst into laughter at his comment. Beast Boy stared with his mouth agape while his eyes formed into squares of disbelief.

"Oh man, that was too funny." Cyborg said wiping a tear from his eye. "I'm loving this guy already."

"That was a good one." Robin said holding his stomach.

"I did not know the Joker even had the book of hands in the first place." Starfire added.

Predator glanced at Raven who chuckled quietly with her hand covering her mouth.

"I thought you didn't like jokes?" She said, smiling.

"That doesn't mean I don't know a thing or two." Predator said, a small smile on his face. A light blush spread on her cheeks and she quickly looked the other direction, her smile hardly fading away.

"Come on, it wasn't _that_ funny." Beast Boy said, displeased.

"You're right, it wasn't...it was hilarious!" Cyborg said, laughing once more. After a few minutes more, the Titans reached a door which Robin opened after pushing the button.

"Okay, Predator, this is your new room." Predator stepped inside and took a look around. It was a large, open room with large glass windows with a nice view of the city and an outdoor nighttime theme painted onto the ceiling. There were also some real dusty old pictures of the Titans and blonde haired girl with goggles. "It's not much but it should keep you comfortable enough."

"Did...someone else live in this room before me?"

"Actually...it belonged to a good friend of ours but...let's just say she moved on." Robin answered. Predator quickly noticed the sad expression on Beast Boy's face while his pointy ears were flipped down. "If you don't like it then, I guess we could make some space in-"

"No, no...it's...it's fine. I understand." He assured. "Thanks a lot, you guys...for everything. I think I can take it from here."

"You sure you don't need anything, man? You've got everything covered?" Cyborg asked.

"I'm positive. You guys have done enough already. I think it's time I got back on my feet; you guys go relax."

"Well, alright then, see you in the morning, Pred." Cyborg waved walking away. "You need anything just let us know."

"Goodnight, Predator." Starfire said, followed by Beast Boy then Robin. Raven stayed in the doorway, staring at him as he looked out the windows with his arms crossed. He quickly noticed and looked back at her.

"Hey...you okay?" He asked, walking towards her. Shaking herself from her thoughts, she looked down at the ground and answered him.

"Yeah, I'm fine, it's just...are you sure you're gonna be okay?"

"Don't worry I'm fine. Just need a little bit of rest, that's all. It's been a long night for all of us." He said, staring down at her, while it seemed she tried to avoid eye contact.

"Well, if you need anything, just let me know, okay?" She said suddenly staring into his eyes.

"Sure thing." He said with a smile.

"Well...goodnight."

"Goodnight." That being said, she walked out of now-Predator's room, the door closing automatically and headed down the hallway. Suddenly the door slid open and Predator peaked out.

"Hey, Raven?" He called.

"Yeah?" She answered looking in his direction.

"Thanks again...for saving me."

"...Don't mention it." She said with another blush. She turned and continued her way down the hall. Predator shut the door and sighed. He turned and went back to the window and once again staring into outside. He took in the view of the city as some deep things ran through his mind.

To Be Continued

* * *

 _ **That's chapter 2. Now I know there seems to be a bit**_ _ **of romantic tension between Raven and Predator and I know there are a lot of Beast Boy x Raven fans. In all honesty, in the old series, I did see a relationship between RxB but Warner Bros. ruined it for me and moved it all to TTG!, which I actively dislike. It's just not the same as it used to be.**_

 ** _Don't fret. This story will not be about Predator and Raven at all. I have something else in mind later on. Until then, thank you and goodnight._**


	3. Chapter 3: A Carnivorous Appetite

**_Chapter 3:_**

Predator quickly drifted off to sleep in his new bed. However, his sleep was not a peaceful one. His eyes flickered rapidly behind closed lids, as he tossed around, grabbing and tearing at his bedsheets.

"Stop." He growled, breathing heavily. "No, get away from me. Leave me alone! I said... leave... me...ALONE!" Predator roared ferociously as he quickly shot awake from his horrible slumber. Panting heavily, he looked around and was relieved to find himself back in his room, the morning sunlight gleaming from the outside window. "It was...just a dream." He sighed, rubbing the sweat from his face.

Predator was shaken from his confusion by the sound of footsteps distantly approaching his room. He quickly stood up, putting his mask back on, and leapt towards the door, crouching and taking cover on the side of it. Predator inhaled sharply, taking in the scents of the approaching footsteps. He exhaled, relieved, as the smells belonged to Beast Boy and Cyborg, and not an actual threat. He stood up and opened the door before either one had a chance to knock.

Beast Boy jumped and shouted in surprise, while Predator continued to blankly stare at them.

"Uh, heheh…morning." Beast Boy chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his head.

"Uh...yeah. Morning." Predator replied, rather indifferently.

"You feeling all right, man?" Cyborg asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"You look like you just ran a marathon—you're dripping with sweat, man. You sleep alright?"

"Don't worry, I'm fine." Predator assured, stretching his back. "I just need to get myself together...especially after…well, whatever it was that happened last night."

"Great, well, we were just coming by to let you know that breakfast is ready." Beast Boy advised. "Also, don't you think that maybe you should… you know, change into something else?"

"Oh, well…" Predator looked at his tights and noticed the rips and dry bloodstains on it. "I would, but I don't have any extra outfits."

"Glad to hear you say that…" Cyborg grinned. "…because last night, Starfire and I stitched together a few completely new outfits for you. And when I say 'completely new,' I mean exactly the same as the original."

"You guys stayed up all night to make me a few new outfits?" Predator asked in disbelief, his right eye twitching a bit.

"Well, it wasn't that big of a deal. I don't need much sleep, since I'm part-robot, and Starfire wanted to find a way to make you feel welcome here. So I helped her make it for you."

"Okay, then…wait, did you take my measurements or something?"

"Kind of. When we brought you in to fix you up, I had to scan your biometrics so I could get a reading on your anatomy and physiology. You know, to see how extensive your injuries were. I just took the reference from your readings to get your size right."

"Okay…" Predator responded a bit uncomfortably. "Um, thanks…I guess."

"I gotta say, dude, tights are a really bold choice for you." Beast Boy said.

"They're not tights, it's my combat uniform." Predator defended.

"Tights." Beast Boy repeated.

"Dude, _you're_ wearing tights!"

"Yeah, well…" Beast Boy struggled for a comeback. "They look good on me."

"I'm taking a shower." Predator growled, resigning himself from the argument. He turned back into his room and closed the door.

"It's almost like he's always been here." Cyborg joked.

"Do you think there's something wrong with my tights?" Beast Boy asked him.

"Hey, man, it's your choice. I won't argue with you on it."

"What does that mean?"

"It means I'm no lady, and I'm not gonna talk about your fashion choices with you!"

After a long, relaxing shower, Predator stepped out of the bathroom wearing one of his brand new custom made outfits. He tossed his old, tattered suit into the bin and stepped out of his room. His nose twitched as it suddenly caught a familiar scent.

"Is that…eggs?" Predator said to himself as he followed the scent. He made his way down the hall and all the way to the living room.

"Hey, morning, Predator. Glad to see you awake and in good shape." Robin greeted him.

Beast Boy was in the kitchen preparing breakfast while Robin and the other Titans were seated at the table.

"Good morning, new shapeshifting friend." Starfire greeted him with a cheerful smile. "I am glad to see you are refreshed from your injuries."

"Thanks." Predator furrowed his brow at Starfire's odd speech. He sat down next to Robin and Raven at the table.

"Do your new clothes suit your comfort?" Starfire continued.

"They're great, Starfire. Very refreshing, actually." Predator commented, bringing a huge encouraged smile to her face. "So, what's for breakfast? It smells good."

"Remember that when you're actually eating it." Raven warned.

"Why?" Predator gave her a puzzled look.

"Don't listen to her, Predator. She's biased against things that are awesome." Beast Boy said, placing a plate on the table for each person.

"She's not the only one." Cyborg mumbled, staring at the eggs in disgust.

"Wait a minute, you mean _you_ made these? Aren't you a vegetarian?" Predator asked.

"Yep. That's why the eggs are made of tofu." Beast Boy grinned. Predator stared at the eggs and suddenly noticed they were a little too white. If they were tofu, then that would explain why they smelled so strange.

"Uh…sorry but...is there anything else to eat?" Predator asked. "I don't think this stuff will…agree with me."

"Aw, come on." Beast Boy pleaded. "It's not bad—it's just like regular bacon and eggs…or well, that's what it says. Come on, just give it a try." He morphed himself into a tiny kitten with huge sparkly eyes, and mewed at Predator.

"What's he doing?" Predator raised his eyebrow.

"Being 'persuasive.'" Cyborg said.

"Does he do that a lot?"

"Only when he wants things to go his way." Raven answered. "The only way to make him stop is to just do what he says. It's the only way to shut him up without doing something physical."

Predator frustratingly glared at Beast Boy who remained in his cat form. He sighed as he picked up the fork, staring at the non-protein food product.

Beast Boy morphed back into his normal form with a huge grin on his face, while the others watched curiously. Predator dug into the eggs with the fork and lifted it up to his mouth, fighting the powerful urge to gag, and put the eggs into his mouth. He twitched as he slowly chewed the salty, flavorless yet chewy food. After a few seconds, he finally managed to swallow it down, shivering in disgust and sticking his tongue out. Beast Boy's eyes literally turned into stars, a smile with glee shining on his face.

"You appear unwell." Starfire said. "Is the food causing you distress?"

"What gave it away?" Predator replied sarcastically. His disgust was quickly replaced with discomfort as his stomach churned and growled. He groaned as he grabbed his lower chest. His own confusion quickly drifted into nausea which caused his entire face to turn green. He slapped his hand onto his mouth, and without hesitation, quickly jumped out of his seat and ran towards the exit at top speed, down the hall and into the bathroom.

Everyone quickly directed their attention to Beast Boy, glaring at him angry and disappointed.

"Okay, maybe that wasn't a good idea." He said, a drop of sweat falling from his forehead.

"I told you he wasn't gonna be able to eat that stuff!" Cyborg snapped, his teeth grown sharpened and a fiery background behind him.

"I didn't know it was gonna make him sick!" Beast Boy argued, innocently.

"He's a _carnivore_! What did you expect? We can't even eat that junk! What made you think _he_ was gonna tolerate it?"

"You always complain about my cooking just because you don't like vegetarian food! How am I supposed to take you seriously?"

"You know, I don't know why I let you cook in the first place. Everyone here knows that anything you make is obviously gonna end up vegetarian. It's always gotta be me who makes real food."

"Guys." Robin tried to interject.

"If you're such a good cook, then why didn't you do it instead of me?" Beast Boy shouted.

"Guys." Robin repeated.

"Don't start with that!" Cyborg shouted back. "Every time you wanna cook, you do it without even telling us. We don't even have the chance to argue about it!"

"QUIET!" Raven shouted at the top of her lungs, surrounding the entire room with dark energy. The others immediately shut up and recoiled in fear. The dark energy vanished from the room. "Now that we know he can't tolerate vegetarian food, maybe we should feed him something he can _actually_ eat."

"Maybe we should just go out to eat." Robin suggested.

"Seconded." Cyborg said, meekly.

"Agreed." Starfire said. They all turned to Beast Boy, expectantly.

"Okay." Beast Boy replied, looking down in defeat.

The door opened and Predator walked back in, still holding his stomach while bubbles popped over his head.

"Good news, Pred." Cyborg said. "We're going out for breakfast."

"Oh thank God." Predator groaned.

* * *

 _Later…_

"How did you fix the car so fast?" Predator asked Cyborg, from the back seat. "I thought I totaled it last night when I crashed into it."

"I have my ways." Cyborg said, slyly, looking at Raven—also in the back—in the mirror.

Cyborg pulled the car up to a stop at the pizza shop, the same place they tried to be the night before. They all stepped out of the car, as Beast Boy, in the form of a lizard, transformed back to normal and stepped off the roof.

"I know I kind of goofed and all, but don't you guys think that was a little cruel?" He said.

"If you didn't want it to happen, you should have done something about it." Cyborg retorted.

"Pizza for breakfast?" Predator squinted curiously. "Not exactly what I had in mind. Is that really a 'healthy' choice?"

"Are you kidding? This place is number one on my eatery list." Cyborg said, lifting up the menu. "If there's one place in the world that can satisfy your hunger and mine, it's this place. It's just too bad we didn't make it to 'All-You-Can-Eat' last night."

"No, it's not 'healthy.'" Raven answered Predator.

"Right…" Predator said. "Well, whatever works for you, works for me, too."

"Hey, um… Predator?" Beast Boy called. Predator redirected his attention from the menu to Beast Boy, who was sitting next to him.

"What's up, kid?" He answered.

"I just wanna say… I'm sorry for trying to make you eat tofu. I guess I was too excited about having someone like me around that I…well, didn't really consider your…'tastes.'" He said, apologetically.

"Don't sweat it, Beast Boy." Predator smirked. "It's not that big of a deal."

"So…we're cool, then?" Beast Boy asked with a smile.

"Yeah, we're cool." Predator said. "Just don't try it again, okay?"

"Deal."

Suddenly the waiter in roller skates arrived at the table.

"Good morning." He asked, wondering deep inside why he had to wear roller skates. "Are you guys ready to order?"

"Yeah, we'll have two large-" Robin started

"Extra-large." Cyborg insisted.

"Right, two extra-large pizzas, one with just regular cheese and the other with..."

"Double pepperoni." Cyborg said.

"The tiny anchovies." Starfire added.

"Extra cheese." Raven said.

Predator thought for a moment before adding his choice.

"I'll have pepperoni, sausage and hamburger…and three pounds of bacon on the side." He said, receiving a few agape mouths and shocked stares, even from the waiter.

"Um...sure thing. Coming right up." The waiter skated away.

"What?" Predator asked, in response to the awkward stares he was receiving. "Too much?"

"That's a pretty big order." Robin said. "You can really eat that much on your own?"

"Yeah…" Predator answered, a bit self-conscious now. "I only sometimes have the teeth of a lion, but I almost always have the appetite of one. You might say it's...kinda like a werewolf deal.

After a ten minute wait, the waiter finally came back with their pizzas and set them on the table, followed by Predator's plate of a large stack of bacon. His mouth began to water and his teeth sharpened to points as he took in the smell. Beast Boy felt his own stomach churn at the sight of all the meat about to be devoured.

"Let's dig in." Robin said.

Predator and Cyborg were quick to grab the first slices. Predator added a few strips of bacon to his pizza and took a large bite with a crunch that could be heard across the table. Beast Boy but his hands over his mouth, trying desperately to contain himself.

"New friend?" Starfire addressed Predator. "Would you please let us know more about you?"

"Hm?" Predator mumbled, his mouth still full.

"Yeah, man." Cyborg agreed. "Why don't you tell us how you got your powers?"

Predator gulped down his food and looked down.

"Um…well…" He muttered.

"Is it an embarrassing story?" Beast Boy teased, nudging his arm.

"No." Predator frowned. "It's not that. It's just that…I don't like to…"

Predator's eyes suddenly widened and his ears twitched. He heard something in the distance. It sounded like…an alarm. He quickly jumped up from his chair, shocking everyone at the table. Without a word, Predator jumped from the balcony and onto the pavement, followed by a hop onto a light post, then another high jump onto the side of a building, gripping it with his claws. He jumped up a few times until he reached the top and ran further away until he was out of sight.

"It's like living with a Chihuahua." Beast Boy said. "Man, there's not wanting to talk about it, and then there's that."

"I don't think that's it." Robin said, standing up as he heard his and the other Titans T-Coms beeping.

"Titans, let's move!"

The group jumped from their seats and made their own respective ways towards the source of trouble. Robin and Cyborg jumped into the T-Car while the others flew towards it.

"I need to start asking for cash up front." The waiter said, looking on.

* * *

Predator grunted as he landed on another roof. He crawled about on all fours, scanning for the source of trouble. His search heralded nothing out of the ordinary, though.

 _'I don't get it. If there wasn't any trouble, then why would-'_ His thoughts were interrupted by an explosion from the bottom of a nearby building. Predator gritted his teeth and pounced to the corner of the roof, where he saw a cloud of smoke shooting out the entrance of a bank. Coming out was a huge-muscled monster with long, brown hair and a goatee, his eyes curiously whitened and with no pupils. His outfit consisted of a sleeveless black costume with a yellow lining.

"Man, oh man...looks like I've hit the motherlode." The monster said, raising his arms in a gleeful manner. "Who would've thought there was so much free money lying around like this?"

"Hey, Sasquatch." Predator called jumping off the building and landing on a light post.

Mammoth grunted curiously as he turned around to face him.

"Who the heck are you?" Mammoth growled at him.

"I'm the new kid in town." Predator growled back. "Now drop the money before I drop you."

"Yeah, right. You and how many of your friends?" Mammoth snorted.

"Just me." Predator retorted, jumping onto the ground on both feet. "You and me, two hits: me hitting you, and you hitting the ground. Anytime you're ready."

"That's a good one, kid." Mammoth laughed. "I'm in a good mood right now, and you don't wanna catch me when I'm not. Why don't you just scurry off back to the comic book store?"

"I passed by on my way here. They told me they were missing an ugly princess. I didn't think I'd find her robbing a bank."

Mammoth growled, clenching his teeth together.

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way, pal." Predator added, putting his hands together and popping his fingers. "Your choice."

Mammoth smirked and dropped the bags on the ground. He suddenly stomped on the ground and sent a fast-traveling shockwave towards Predator, catching him off-guard knocking him into the air. Predator was dazed as he slammed into a car, crumpling the roof and shattering all the windows.

"Again, in two days? Really?" Predator groaned as he slid down onto the ground, landing on his hands and knees. "That's it…" He growled and crossed his arms together in front of his face, and then swung them open, now revealing a pair of glowing yellow eyes, sharp teeth and claws. "You wanna go? LET'S GO!"

Charging at his opponent at top speed, Predator let out a mighty roar readying to strike his newly declared prey. Mammoth quietly chuckled and charged at him as well, leaving craters in the street after every step. Predator gritted his teeth as they drew closer and closer to one another. They neared each other, winding back their fists, ready to strike the other down.

To Be Continued...

* * *

 ** _There's the third chapter for you, I really hope you enjoyed it. I'll add the next chapter as soon as I can. Probably/Hopefully in the next few days. Until then, thank you and goodnight._**

 ** _BTW, I wanna give a special thanks to BlackWidowofLaPorte for creating the awesome cover image to this story. If you guys have the time, do me a solid and check on over his profile and stories and perhaps follow him for more content, leave a review, that kind of stuff and such. It would be greatly appreciative to him and me._**


	4. Chapter 4:

_**Chapter 4:**_

Raven, Starfire, and Beast Boy flew towards the distress signal while Robin and Cyborg followed in the T-Car.

"There!" Robin yelled, pointing ahead at Predator, who was in the midst of fighting Mammoth.

Predator jumped backwards, narrowly avoiding a devastating blow from Mammoth. Predator retaliated, sending a hard uppercut to his jawline and then quickly pouncing on him.

"Looks like he's already ahead of the game." Cyborg said as the other Titans arrived on the scene.

Mammoth slammed hard into the ground with Predator still holding onto him. Mammoth grunted as he endured several punches and scratches from Predator, before he finally caught one of his punches. Predator struggled to free himself, turning his fingers into claws, ultimately to no avail as Mammoth stood back up. With earth-shattering force, he slammed Predator right into the cement.

While Predator's extraordinary vitality saved him from being completely crushed, even he wouldn't be able to survive many more blows like that.

Predator quickly recovered from the attack, catching Mammoth's foot before he could crush him underneath it. Predator growled as he summoned all of his strength and threw Mammoth back off of him. Predator chopped the back of Mammoth's other knee causing him to kneel forward, landing himself into an uppercut. Predator took the opportunity and threw a right hook, followed by a left uppercut and two more hooks. He ended it with a kip-up, his feet impacting onto his face, pushing him backwards. Predator jumped over, landed on his back and bit him on the shoulder. Mammoth roared as he grabbed Predator and slammed him into the ground. He then picked him up by the neck and punched him into the air. Predator recovered midair, landing on both feet. He shook as he tried to steady the fire in his lungs.

"Is that it?" Mammoth taunted before he charged at Predator. "I had more of a fight from my breakfast."

Predator glared angrily at Mammoth. He stood up and charged full-speed at him. The encounter was interrupted as a blast of blue energy knocked Mammoth away, sending him crashing into the side of a building.

Predator looked in the direction of the ray and saw Cyborg with his hand in the form of his signature sonic cannon. Standing beside him were Robin and Beast Boy—who stood on the top of a mailbox like a monkey—while Raven and Starfire hovered above them.

"You guys sure took your time getting here." Predator scowled.

"We like making an entrance." Beast Boy said with a cocky smile.

"Great, the cavalry has arrived." Mammoth growled as he stood back up. "Now I can crush all six of you in one day." He cracked his knuckles. "This just keeps getting better and better."

"Isn't this the part where you call in that little bald-headed, know-it-all partner of yours?" Cyborg asked. "And then we whip your butts and send you both back to jail?"

"Gizmo? Ha! I dumped that bossy little pipsqueak off a long time ago. And now that I'm finally rid of him, I get to call the shots all on my own. And my first order of business..." Mammoth slammed his fists into the ground and literally pulled a large chunk of the street out of the ground and lifted it over his head. "...is sending you punks into the dust." He threw the large boulder at them.

"Titans go!" Robin exclaimed. The five Titans quickly moved in different directions while Predator remained where he was, confused.

"Wait what?" Predator asked, confused. He jumped away to avoid the boulder, landing near Cyborg. "'Titans go?' Is that a thing? Like, he actually yells that during a fight?"

"All the time. It's like a little motto of ours." Cyborg explained. "I say it too, sometimes."

"Okay, but is it really necessary? Never mind. Just tell me: who is this guy?"

"Mammoth. He used to be a member of the H.I.V.E. Five and a student at H.I.V.E. Academy. H.I.V.E. eventually dissolved and the group broke up. We have one of them on our side now, but we've been dealing with the others as we go along. Seems like you two have gotten to know each other already."

"Yeah... I had him, just so you know. You guys just showed up before I could finish the job."

"Sure you did."

Beast Boy morphed himself into a rhino and charged at Mammoth at top speed. Mammoth grinned and grabbed him by the horn, pushing his weight against him. He flipped Beast Boy over with all his might and slammed him into the ground, knocking him unconscious with swirls rotating around his eyes.

A sudden green star bolt landed right next to him and he redirected his attention to Starfire who repeatedly swung her arms, doing her absolute best to hit him, but was overall unsuccessful. Mammoth grabbed the rhino Beast Boy and lifted him into the air. With a loud grunt, he threw him at Starfire who quickly came to a stop. Having regained consciousness, Beast Boy morphed back into his original form screaming for his life until he crashed into her and they were sent flying through the air, crashing into the pavement.

Mammoth was caught off guard when a light post emitting a black aura tangled itself around him. He looked up and saw Raven, her eyes glowing crystal white and her arms pointing at him while her hands emitted said aura. Raven used her telekinesis to tighten the hold on Mammoth and landed on the ground.

Really, is that it?" Mammoth said, unimpressed.

In one swift movement, he forcefully untangled himself, causing the light post to collide into her, pushing her backwards into the air, landing on her back.

"All these years and you losers are still as weak as ever." He picked up a nearby car and threw it at her as she slowly stood to her feet. Raven stood there, staring at the incoming car until Predator, from out of nowhere, tackled her out of the way.

"You okay?" Predator asked kneeling down next to her. She nodded.

"I'm fine, but he's a lot more powerful than he used to be. He's somehow progressed over the years."

"That doesn't mean he can't be taken down." Predator said reassuringly.

"He's right." Robin said from out of nowhere. "Every villain has a weakness, and I think I know a way to take him down. Predator, I know we can beat him, but I'll need you to tag along if we're gonna make some progress. Are you with me?"

Robin placed his hand out in front of him. Predator stared for a moment. Usually, he wasn't much of a team player, mostly because he's done things on his own. But from the look on Robin's face and the progress they were making so far, it seemed like they really needed it. He narrowed his eyebrows and grabbed his hand.

"I'm in." He said. "Let's take him down."

Mammoth was focused on Robin and Predator until a rock-hard punch connected straight with his jaw, compliments of Cyborg. Cyborg followed with a series of punches until he finished it off with an uppercut, sending Mammoth off the ground and landing on his back.

"Boo-yah!" Cyborg exclaimed with a grin. His vigor disappeared as Mammoth got back on his feet and cracked his neck.

"Is that all you've got?" Mammoth laughed. "Last time I checked, you used to punch a lot harder than that."

Cyborg's face turned to shock as Mammoth threw a hard punch of his own, sending him crashing into a wall, collapsing face first right next to Beast Boy and Starfire, who lied on the ground unconscious.

"Come on. Have you wusses gone soft over the years? You guys are just making this look way too easy. I haven't even broken a sweat."

"Hey, bonehead..." Predator called. Mammoth raised an eyebrow as he turned around to see Robin and Predator standing side by side. "...I dunno if you've noticed, but there are still two of us left in the party. And as far as I can tell, I'd say the odds are pretty up against you. Now I said it before and I'll say it again: we can do this the easy way..."

"Or the hard way." Robin finished, pulling out his staff and twirling it counter clockwise.

Instead, of a response, Mammoth chuckled maliciously and slid his foot backwards like a wild bull. The only thing he saw was just two scrawny weaklings he could crush with one hand behind his back.

"Ready?" Robin asked.

"Always." Predator smiled as he shifted his eyes into a brownish-orange color—the eyes of a lion—sharpening his teeth and morphing his fingers into claws. They charged towards Mammoth at full speed, screaming battle cries as loud as they could.

"One…" Robin began.

Mammoth was 10 meters away.

"Two…" Predator continued.

Mammoth was 5 meters away. He raised his fist, preparing a decisive blow.

"Three!" They both shouted in unison before ducking under the punch.

Robin swung his staff towards Mammoth's abdomen, but he blocked it, until Predator jumped up and caught him by surprise with a hard punch to his jaw, pushing him backwards at a pretty good distance.

"It's time for you to get put on a leash!" Predator shouted as he and Robin charged again.

Mammoth growled at them and blocked another swing from Robin's staff, along with another surprise punch from Predator. Their speed got the best of him once Robin managed to hit him hard in the stomach, nearly taking the breath out of him. Predator threw another punch to his left eye, followed by an uppercut. Mammoth retaliated by slamming both fists down but they swiftly dodged his attack, causing him to punch another hole in the ground. Predator landed a reverse somersault kick, standing him straight up on impact, allowing Robin to send a hard punch of his own which pushed him back some more.

Beast Boy, from the sidelines, groaned as he slowly pushed himself off the ground.

"Oh, my head... I guess that settles who would win between a mammoth and a rhino." He murmured, rubbing his forehead. Looking to the side, he was quickly attached to Predator and Robin double teaming against Mammoth, performing a series of unbelievably fast punches, claws and kicks, not once giving him a chance to fight back. The whole scene itself looked—in his vocabulary—awesome.

"Whoa..." He moaned in amazement. "Guys, get up, you've gotta see this." He moved to his friends and began almost hysterically shaking them awake.

"Ugh, what?" Cyborg mumbled, looking upwards and also noticing the battle taking place. He stood up to his feet and automatically became focused on Predator and Robin. Starfire was the last to rise from the ground, her eyes also becoming attached to them.

"Raven, you gotta-" Beast Boy called until he suddenly noticed she was right next to them, already catching a glimpse of the fight as we speak.

"I'm way ahead of you." She said with a smirk keeping her eyes focused on the fight.

Robin and Predator continued their attack with a knee to the gut by Robin, an elbow to the nose by Predator and—to be precise—one hit after the other until they finished it off with a double punch to the face, hoping it would be the final blow. To their dismay, all it did was push him back even more. Cracking his jaw, Mammoth growled and glared at them with hatred.

"Now, you're really gonna regret making me mad." He snapped.

"He...he just won't go down." Predator panted. "How much punishment can this guy take?"

"We'll just have to hit him a lot harder, then." Robin said. "We have to stop him, one way or another. Get ready to hit him with everything you've got."

"I like the way you think." Predator agreed, his eyes now glowing similar to that of a Mountain Lion. "It's time to show him what we're really made of."

Charging towards him, Predator jumped over Mammoth and landed right behind him. Mammoth quickly turned to face Predator, only to be blindsided by a powerful straight from Robin. The blow pushed him backwards into a flying roundhouse kick to his lower back by Predator.

The two began delivering a series of punches to Mammoth's lower abdomen and lower back. Mammoth stood his ground, enduring every blow before throwing a hook towards Robin. Robin swiftly ducked back and delivered a spinning elbow to Mammoth's jaw. He winced and twirled around, his body now facing Predator.

Robin twirled to the side, positioning himself right next to Predator allowing them both to send an even faster and harder series of punches to his left hip and abdomen. Even after twelve punches, Mammoth unbelievably remained on his feet, taking every single punch as if they were nothing. He swung his fist, this time aiming for Predator.

Predator ducked underneath it and he and Robin continued their assault. They simultaneously punched Mammoth in the chest, nearly taking his breath away. They combined their efforts with a series of kicks and uppercuts. Mammoth threw another punch towards both of them, but they swiftly ducked it and simultaneously punched his stomach, causing him to gasp and lean forward.

Robin jumped and slammed his elbow down on the back of Mammoth's neck, followed by Predator sending a jumping knee to his face, standing him straight up again. They continued to deliver an even faster and harder barrage of punches, ignoring the sweat dripping from their foreheads, the intensity within their lungs and the sores in their knuckles. One way or another, they were determined to take Mammoth down and there was nothing that could stop them. It wasn't long before they suddenly noticed Mammoth's body starting to give up on him.

Mammoth growled and threw an aggravated punch at Robin, who ducked again, grabbing Mammoth's wrist and performing a wrist lock on him. He stomped on the back of Mammoth's knee, forcing him to kneel in front of Predator. Mammoth, becoming increasingly tired by the battle, desperately swung his free hand at Predator. Predator effortlessly caught him and delivered a powerful headbutt to his nose.

 _ **"CRACK!"**_ Mammoth shouted as his nose broke. The other Titans flinched. Mammoth's eyes were shut tight, his mouth wide open in pain as blood flew out of his nasal.

Robin sent two vertical punches to the back of Mammoth's neck and Predator sent two hooks and an uppercut to his jaw. Robin ran over Mammoth's back and reverse aerial flipped off of his shoulders. Predator kicked Mammoth back and Robin landed feet first right on his chest, forcefully pushing him down and bashing the back of his head against the hard ground and finally knocking him out.

"You...you think he's finally down yet?" Predator asked catching his breath as Robin stepped off of Mammoth.

"Yeah... I think he's definitely down now. And I don't think he's getting back up either." Robin replied, also catching his breath, staring down at the now unconscious Mammoth.

"Not so tough now are ya, big guy?" Predator smirked at the felled villain. "Nice moves, dude." He said to Robin.

"Thanks. You're not too bad yourself." Robin said.

"Dude, that was sick!" Beast Boy commented in admiration.

Robin and Predator turned to see the other Titans approaching them.

"That was literally one of the most awesomest things I have ever seen!" Beast Boy continued.

"I'll say." Cyborg agreed. "Where did you learn to fight like that?"

"I... learned a thing or two in Martial Arts when I was younger." Predator said, rubbing the back of his head. "Plus, it comes with the shape-shifting abilities. It's no big deal, really."

"No big deal?" Beast Boy shouted. "Hellooo, did you not see yourself back there? You guys like, performed the greatest double team takedown in history back there. It was like looking at a sequence of 'The Dynamic Duo 2.0'."

Beast Boy looked up and a thought bubble appeared over his head with an image of Predator and Robin standing on a rooftop, side by side with their arms crossed. Raven suddenly popped the thought bubble, bringing a glum expression to Beast Boy's face.

"I think what he's trying to say is: you guys make a pretty good team." Raven said.

"Indeed it was!" Starfire chimed. "I believe it would be appropriate to offer our new friend a place on our team!"

"Wait, what?" Predator exclaimed, surprised.

"Actually, that doesn't sound like a bad idea, Star." Robin said, rubbing his chin in thought.

Predator stared at him a little bit bewildered.

"You've shown great skill and potential since you arrived, Predator. I believe you've earned the opportunity to proclaim yourself as one of us. With all of your abilities, you'd make a great addition to the team. How would you like to become an official member of the Teen Titans?"

"We know things have been pretty hectic for you the last few days." Cyborg said, assuredly. "Trust me, man, once you become a Titan, everything will get better than it ever was before. Sure there'll be some minor issues. You know, typical roommate stuff, like agreeing on food and whose turn it is to do the dishes. But it just takes a bit of getting used to."

Predator looked down in heavy thought. He wasn't much of a team player. For a majority of his time as a vigilante, he considered himself as a loner. But now, an actual team was offering him a chance to become one of them. It almost felt it wasn't just an offer to be part of a team, but also a chance to make things right for him. A chance to prove to others that he is not something or someone to be feared, except by those who choose the wrong path. However, the question quickly grasped onto him: Is he really cut out for being a Teen Titan? He looked back up to the others and stared for a moment. The looks on all of their faces clearly stated that they really wanted him to join, even though they just met him.

"What's the catch?" Predator asked.

"No catch. As long as you're willing to protect and serve others at all costs especially those who still have much to live for, including your allies. You have to be willing to put their lives above yours. There's another rule that you have to follow, bar none."

"And what's that supposed to be?"

"Never take a life." Robin answered, sternly. "No matter how big or serious the threat. Stooping to that level would only show that you're no better than the villains we've sworn to fight. So...are you in?"

Predator narrowed his eyebrows and nodded with bravery.

"All right, then. As of now..." He grabbed a T-Communicator from his utility belt and held it out for him. "...consider yourself an official member of the Teen Titans."

Predator took the communicator and stared at it. At that very moment, it became official to him. He no longer considered himself as just 'Predator,' but now as 'Predator, the Teen Titan.'

"Aww yeah!" Cyborg patted Predator on the back. "Bad guys, beware! Because we've got the big, bad Predator on our team now, baby!"

"Finally!" Beast Boy exclaimed, wrapping an arm around Predator's shoulder. "Another animal in our group that I can actually look up to. It's almost like having an older brother."

Predator glanced at him with an eyebrow raised, which Beast Boy quickly noticed. He removed his arm and rubbed the back of his head, chuckling nervously.

"By brother I mean in a new friend/teammate type of way."

Cyborg and Beast Boy were swiftly pushed aside by Starfire, who pulled Predator into a crushing hug.

"Glorious!" Starfire shouted, tightening the hug, forcing Predator's head to turn blue and increase in size. "I am very excited to consider you not only as my new friend but also as my trustworthy ally. I offer you my most sincerest gratitude."

"I'm happy, too, Star…" Predator gasped. "Please let go, I can't breathe…"

Starfire released Predator with a smile, allowing him to take a deep breath, desperately gasping for air and grasping the painful spot on his ribs. He looked up and noticed Raven with a small smile on her face staring at him, her hood covering a majority of her face. Thankfully, she was also the only one who didn't try to physically welcome him.

"You're not gonna hug me too, are you?" Predator asked.

"And give you the pleasure of being physically maimed?" Raven smirked.

"Actually coming from you, I really wouldn't mind. Don't worry, I won't bite."

"No thanks."

"Come on. You don't mind looking into my head, but you don't wanna hug me?" Predator smiled playfully.

"She has her own way of doing things." Beast Boy explained. "You'll realize that once you get to know-" Without warning, Predator ran up to Raven and brought her into a hug of his own.

"No, Predator, stop! What are you doing?!" Beast Boy cried, freaking out, knowing that anyone who even tried to touch Raven—even if it was a hug—usually end up with something very bad happening to them. But to his and everyone else's surprise, she didn't do anything at all. Instead she just stood there wide eyed with a dark red blush around her cheeks. After a few more seconds, Predator let her go and gave her a wry smile.

"See, that wasn't so bad, now was it?" He teased. Raven shook her head and her blush quickly went away.

"People don't normally get away with that." She advised. "But I'll give you a free pass, this time."

"What?" Beast Boy exclaimed, his mouth agape. "He can hug you without permission, but no one else can?"

"Like you said, I have my own way of doing things."

Pretty soon two specialized officers arrived in a large van. They opened the back doors but struggled with trying to get the still unconscious Mammoth off the ground.

"Man, this guy weighs a ton." One of the officers complained. "We should've brought a fork lift."

"You guys need a hand?" Predator asked, approaching them.

"Thanks, kid, but I don't think you can-" The officer quickly became silent as Predator picked Mammoth up without even a struggle. He carried him over his shoulders until he threw him in the van without hesitation. Everyone stared at him, shocked as to how strong he was.

"What were you saying?" Predator asked, crossing his arms. Neither of the officers answered, but instead went back into the van and drove off. Predator turned to the others with a smile. "So...who's hungry?"

 _(A While Later)_

Predator rested peacefully on his bed, the nighttime rain patting against his windows, somehow making it seem a little more peaceful for him. This was by far the best sleep he's had in a while now. His body turned over, now facing the wall when suddenly:

 _"Beep, beep, beep…"_ Predator's T-Communicator suddenly sounded off while a small red light flashed rapidly. His eyes popped wide open, revealing a pair of tired red eyes. His clock showed it was 6:00 in the morning.

"Ugh… what?" Predator groaned, grabbing the communicator from the nightstand and pressing the button. "Hello?" He mumbled, tiredly.

 _"Predator, it's Robin. We need you to report to the 5th floor, right away."_ Robin's voice responded from the T-Com.

"Seriously... now?" He groaned, lying back down, closing his eyes.

 _"Yes. Now."_ Robin repeated, hanging up on the other end.

Predator sighed and got out of bed, grabbing his mask. What could Robin and the others _possibly_ want so early in the morning?

To Be Continued...


	5. Chapter 5: Initiation

_**Chapter 5: Initiation**_

Predator's eyes adapted quickly to the darkness as he walked down the hallway. He stopped in front of the elevator and pressed the 'down' button. The doors opened and he stepped inside, and pressed the '5th Floor' button. The doors closed and the elevator descended, eventually reaching its destination. The doors opened again, and Predator found himself in another dark hall. He made his way towards the end, to a door with a blue light hanging above it. The door automatically slid open and Predator stepped into the dark room.

Although the lights were out, Predator could see the décor of the room. Most of it appeared to be exercise equipment; there was a treadmill, a punching bag, a bench press and assorted weights, a training post, a target dummy… and some sort of enormous machine attached to the wall. It looked like nothing Predator had seen before.

"Hello?" Predator called. "Is this how you guys normally meet? In a gym, in the middle of the night? In the dark? That's kind of shady. Alright, real funny guys. I'll see you in the morning."

Predator headed his way towards the exit when suddenly the door slammed itself shut and a blue electromagnetic field surrounded every corner of the room, preventing him from leaving. The lights flashed on and:

 _"This isn't a prank."_ Robin's voice echoed throughout the room, via intercom. Predator looked around and saw Robin and the rest of the Titans in an observation deck above him. _"Think of this as… your initiation."_

"Say what?" Predator raised his eyebrow, confused. Cyborg pressed a button on the control console.

 _"Simulation activated."_ A computerized voice announced as the entire setting changed into an alleyway, while the Observer Room transformed into a building with a fire escape above it.

Predator checked his surroundings, stunned by the realistic detail to everything. The shock effectively woke him up from his sleepy daze. He looked ahead and a group of six average-sized holograms, which took the forms of street thugs, with two of them holding weapons—one with a steel baseball bat and another with a metal pipe. Two more holograms formed, in the shape of tall, stocky brutes, with their fists curled up. The group didn't look too happy to see Predator.

"You woke me up at six in the morning to fight a couple of stupid training bots?!" Predator shouted angrily, sharpening his teeth. "Wasn't yesterday enough?"

"Hey! Those are my training bots!" Cyborg retorted. "They have feelings, just like I do!"

"How can they have feelings?" Predator asked. "They're robots made for a simulation!"

"Yeah, but they have names!"

"ENOUGH!" Robin shouted, before taking back his normal tone. "You've already shown how well you contribute to a team, but now we want to see how you do in solo combat. You have to be prepared for situations when we're not around to back you up. This training program will not only prove you're one of us, but also that you have what it takes to handle yourself out in the field."

"Plus, I uh… kind of want to see you kick some more butt." Beast Boy added, rubbing his head nervously.

"We'll start you off with Level 5." Robin advised. "If you get hit even once, you fail, and the session resets."

"You guys are so dead after this!" Predator snapped. He looked ahead and noticed all of the thugs—David, Eric, Rick, Scott, Tom and Jake—charging towards him. The two brutes—Ezra and Pete—remained where they were. Predator growled and readied himself, morphing the colors of his eyes into that of a tiger's.

Predator rolled over Jake's back, avoiding an incoming punch and kicked David in the stomach. He gasped in pain, grasping onto it until Predator pulled his head down and kneed him in the jaw followed by a roundhouse kick, forcefully knocking him down. Predator glanced to the side and blocked an incoming punch by Rick and punched him in the chest. Rick grunted in pain as Predator grabbed his arm and flipped him on the ground.

Tom and Scott ran up to him and threw simultaneous punches, but Predator ducked underneath them and they instead punched each other. Predator double elbowed them both in the abdomen and hit them with a jumping spinning crescent kick, knocking them off their feet. Predator quickly turned and landed a claw that swiped against Eric's stomach—causing him to drop the bat—followed by an uppercut to his chin. Predator jumped over, gripped on his shoulders and threw him against a flaming trash can, knocking it over.

Predator glanced back and sweep kicked David off his feet, dropping the pipe in his hands. Predator stomped on the pipe and it flipped into his grip. He swiftly jumped, added with a twirl and bashed the pipe against his chest, instantly knocking him unconscious.

Predator turned and managed to avoid a few incoming punches by Jake left and right. Predator narrowed his eyebrows and bashed the end of the pipe against his stomach, then swung it upwards—both hands gripping on each side—impacting onto his chin. Predator threw away the pipe and grabbed his right arm. He forcefully twisted it the other way, causing him to scream in pain and fall on his knees. Predator flipped forward and his heel kicked him in the back of his skull, slamming his head against the ground knocking him unconscious as well.

Scott picked up a wooden crate and hurled it at Predator. Predator quickly spun around and smashed it to pieces with his claws. He quickly jumped over a charging Ezra, who swung a strong fist, missing Predator and punching the wall instead. He turned and was surprised by a jumping uppercut, pushing him backwards. Ezra shrugged off the blow and took another swing. Predator quickly caught it and pushed Ezra away with all of his might, and then delivered a swift blow to his abdomen. Ezra was stunned by the attack, and Predator followed it up with a barrage of quick punches to his stomach.

Rick saw his opening and charged at Predator. Predator's senses alerted him, and he turned and blocked it and sent a punch of his own, connecting to Rick's ribs, followed by an uppercut and a punch to the left cheek, hard enough to bash him against the floor. Predator grabbed his legs, twirled him around twice and sent him flying through the air until he crashed into the Observer Room window.

Ezra suddenly grabbed Predator in a tight hold from behind. Predator struggled to get free as Scott ran up to him, ready to beat him down. Predator grunted and quickly shot his legs up, kicking Scott away from him. Predator turned his head and landed an elbow to Ezra's chest then his stomach, forcing him to lose his grip. Predator swiftly turned, facing him and landed another elbow to his stomach, followed by an uppercut to the chin and finished it off with a dropkick, pushing Ezra back. Predator's eyes morphed into a cougar's, and he dropped down on all fours. He pounced on Ezra, jumping off his chest high into the air, and landing feet-first onto his face, kicking him straight into the ground and knocking him out cold.

Predator quickly turned around in time to duck underneath Tom's steel baseball bat, missing it by a hair. Predator grabbed the bat and pulled Tom forward, delivering a powerful headbutt to his face, forcing him to let go of the bat. Predator kicked him in the leg, causing him to kneel down, and Predator bunted him in the face with the bat.

 _ **"CLANG!"**_ The impact caused a few teeth to shoot from his mouth and left a huge mark on the side of his head as he collapsed into the pavement.

 _'Two left.'_ Predator thought. His eyes returned to normal and he panted heavily, trying to recover his energy.

"Alright, ladies…" He said. "Who's next?"

Scott charged at him. Predator remained where he was, placing the bat on his shoulder. He yawned, stretched his arms and popped his neck. In one sudden move, he threw the bat at Scott. Scott flinched as he caught it before it hit him. Predator quickly closed the gap between them, grabbing the back of Scott's head and slammed him into his knee. Scott winced in pain as Predator headbutted him and grabbed the bat, smashing it into his stomach and then into his face. Scott fell to the floor, defeated. Predator smirked as he dropped the now almost completely crumbled bat to the ground, turning towards Pete.

"Okay, Tiny." Predator growled, his eyes changing into those of a wolf's. "It's just you and me now. So what do you want me to break first? Your legs or your skull?"

Pete swung his arms out, revealing two long blades attached to his wrists.

"Really?" Predator glared at the others. "Really, guys?"

"I thought they didn't start using them until Level 6." Beast Boy said, turning to Cyborg.

"Must be a glitch in the program." Cyborg rubbed his head, nervously.

"Wait a minute." Robin said. "I told you not to give them swords! They pose too much risk to us."

"Oh, come on, don't exaggerate. The robots are more of a danger to themselves, because of their faulty programming."

Pete charged at Predator; Predator in turn jumped back, avoiding a swipe from Pete's blades. He grabbed the baseball bat mid roll and landed back on his feet. He gritted his teeth, jumped in the air and took a vertical swing at Pete's head. Pete swiped one of the blades upwards and it cut through straight through the bat. Predator jumped backwards, staring at the useless thing.

"That bites." Predator mumbled throwing it away.

Pete dashed towards Predator, swiping at him with the blades. Predator swiftly moved back, ducking out of the way to avoid each swing. He took a few swings of his own, but Pete raised his arms up to block each strike. Predator jumped in the air and threw a spinning kick, only for that to be blocked, too. Pete swung both of his arms open, pushing Predator away. Predator maneuvered in the air, landing on all fours right next to the car.

Predator panted heavily, wiping the thick sweat from his forehead. He knew he would have to evolve his strategy if he was going to win the fight.

Pete charged, raising his left blade high. At a close distance, Predator turned and pounced on top of the car as Pete lunged his blade forward only for it to crash into the front door window, shattering the glass on impact. Predator quickly spun around, swinging his legs to kick Pete directly in the face. He wrapped his feet around the back of Pete's neck and pulled him forward, slamming his face into the car's roof. Pete was immediately dazed by the attack. Predator jumped down from the car and grabbed the door handle.

"Let me get that for you." Predator growled. He yanked the door open and slammed it right into Pete's face.

Pete shouted loudly as his arm freed itself and he staggered backwards, pressing one of his hands against his forehead. He swung his free hand, blindly trying to keep Predator away. Predator effortlessly moved under the blade and kicked Pete in the leg, forcing him to shout and grab at his leg in an effort to subdue the pain. He moved his other hand off of his face and swung at Predator again. Predator moved out of the way and punched Pete directly in the stomach, forcing him to gasp and keel over. Predator grunted loudly as he threw a mighty punch—which could be heard throughout the entire alley to his jaw, fracturing it and knocking much of his fake robot teeth out. Pete fell to the ground, reverting back to standard robot form.

"Dude!" Beast Boy said to the others. "He cleared the room in less than five minutes! He's like a natural."

"With a perfect score, and no retries or practice runs." Cyborg commented, impressed. "He's definitely earned his place here."

"I see you all talking up there, but I can't hear you!" Predator shouted, still slightly annoyed by the test. "I know you're talking about me, now tell me what's up."

"You've done a great job." Robin said, over the speaker. "We're going to monitor how well you do on a stealth mission."

Robin pressed another button and the alleyway suddenly changed into a bank interior. There was a vault with a cage that was already blown open, four cubicles, all complete with drawers filled with cash and security cameras at every corner of the room. The lighting however was slightly darker than any other.

Predator looked around raising an eyebrow as the fallen thugs disappeared and four new ones—Jayden, Alex, Crash and Steve—this time equipped with weapons; most notably three assault rifles and a shotgun, and another brute—Nate—equipped with a mini gun. The thugs all gasped as they caught sight of Predator and immediately turned their guns on him.

Predator's eyes widened as he turned and jumped up into the air.

The thugs opened fire on the site where Predator was standing. The sound of gunfire was deafening for a full 10 seconds before they came to an end.

"Where'd he go?" Crash asked, reloading his gun.

"I dunno. He's gone." Jayden answered. "How'd he move so fast?"

"Don't just stand around. Split up and find him." Nate ordered.

The thugs split up, going off in different directions, keeping their eyes open for anything unnatural while Nate walked alone in the area where they first saw Predator.

Everything was quiet for the first minute. There wasn't a sign of anything out of the ordinary.

Suddenly, the lights blew out and the room was almost completely dark. They jumped and looked around as sparks started to rain down on them. A loud hissing sound echoed around the room, causing even more discomfort. Suddenly a scream was heard, shocking everyone in the room.

"What was that?" Jayden shouted, turning on the flashlight strapped to his gun. "Who's over there?"

Another scream was heard. This sound of gunfire was added to the mix before cutting off abruptly. Jayden quickly rushed his way towards the screams which suddenly came to a stop.

Once there, the first thing he noticed was Nate kneeling down on the floor while Steve stood next to him with his gun ready, only turning briefly as he noticed Jayden. Both of them were looking down at something. He rushed next to them and found himself staring down at Crash and Alex both lying unconscious on the ground. Their guns rested next to him, only it looked like they had been sabotaged. The magazines were gone and the guns themselves were physically dismantled, almost completely broken in half.

"What happened here?" Jayden asked, nervously.

"It was him." Nate said. "He played these chumps like a violin."

"What do we do now?" Steve asked, wiping the sweat from his brow.

"Find this freak and put a bullet in his head. You two stay together and find him." Nate ordered. "Don't end up like those two. Stay sharp and don't let him take you out."

Jayden and Steve paired together and walked away. Nate stood up with a firm grip on his mini gun and went the opposite direction.

* * *

"I cannot see anything." Starfire said. "I would like to know how our friend is doing."

"He's using the darkness to his advantage." Cyborg said, using his robotic eye to see in the dark. "The computer shows two of them down already."

"Activating night-vision mode." Robin pressed another button on the command console, and the window tinted green, allowing the Titans to see the room properly.

"He's well-hidden." Cyborg said. "As long as he stays quiet, they'll never find him."

Jayden and Steve continued their patrol through the bank. Their search yielded fruitless, as they were unable to find Predator. While most of the thugs were determined and confident in taking him out, Jayden was less assured.

"Hey, man." Steve said to him. "Keep it together. Watch my back."

"Got it." Jayden said, wiping the sweat off his face.

There was another hissing sound, only this time from behind, followed by fast paced footsteps. Jayden yelled and turned towards it, blindly firing his shotgun.

"What are you shooting at?" Steve growled.

"There's something there!" Jayden shouted. "I heard it."

"There's nothing there. Calm down."

Jayden panted heavily, trying to steady himself. He turned around in time to see a shadowy figure dashing into a nearby cubicle. Jayden screamed and fired another round at it, hitting nothing but the floor.

"Get a hold of yourself!" Steve snapped annoyed. "There's nothing there. Stop being so scared of some kid."

"I saw it this time!" Jayden shouted, pointing at the cubicle.

"I'll check it out." Steve sighed, placing a hand on his head. "Just watch my back, and don't shoot me."

Jayden nodded and Steve walked towards the workspace. Jayden remained where he was and watched, keeping the finger on the gun relaxed. Steve entered the booth and looked around, shining his flashlight around every corner of the room.

"Nothing." Steve said, turning back to Jayden.

Jayden's eyes widened as he noticed a pair of glowing green eyes—similar to a cobra snake's—in the shadows from behind Steve.

"Now, will you shut up and stop-mmph!"

A pair of arms stuck out of the shadows and gripped onto Steve's mouth, cutting him off. In one swift motion, Steve was pulled back into the room. Jayden screamed bloody murder as he emptied his clip into the shadows.

"What's going on over there?" Nate shouted from the other side of the room.

Jayden gasped hysterically as Steve's gun was tossed out of the shadows and landed at his feet. Steve quickly dropped his shotgun and picked up the assault rifle, quickly checking the ammo clip to see it still full.

Another loud, ferocious hiss sounded from above. Jayden's spine tensed up as he fearfully looked up and pointed the flashlight at the ceiling, as the hissing started to grow closer to him. He gasped once he spotted Predator hanging on the ceiling, hissing at him aggressively. His eyes glowed green and his teeth morphed into fangs. Jayden let out another scream of terror as Predator dropped down and pounced on him.

Nate heard Jayden's scream, and slowly made his way towards the source. He was surprised when Jayden's body was thrown across the floor, landing right next to him. Nate pointed his gun towards the direction Jayden came from.

"I know you're there. Show yourself!" Nate ordered.

He noticed a shadow-covered Predator pounce into one of the nearby cubicles. Nate unleashed a flurry of bullets into the room, tearing straight through the wall and decimating everything inside. He paused for a moment, waiting for a sound. When there was none, he headed over to the room and looked in. It was empty, aside from the disheveled, destroyed office space.

Nate grunted as he felt a strong blow hit him in the back of the head. He turned around quickly and opened fire, only to find nothing there. He was punched again from the other direction and instead of firing, he swung his mini gun towards it. No such luck. He growled in aggravation until he felt another hard strike to his back. He turned to find Predator standing there.

Nate growled and swung his mini gun with all of his strength. Predator jumped up and avoided it. Nate swung again, only for Predator to duck backwards. Predator stepped to the side, once more avoiding another attack and landed a jumping knee to his chin. Predator continued his attack and jumped in the air and slamming both fists right into his skull, nearly pushing him off his feet. Nate's vision became completely blurry as Predator grunted and sent one more jumping roundhouse punch to his face. Nate collapsed on his back, the weight from the mini gun forcefully pushing him into the hard metal floor.

Predator morphed his eyes back to normal as the bank turned back into the gym and the real lights came on. The fallen thugs once again evaporated, the blue border disappeared—no longer blocking the exit—and another computerized voice was heard.

 _"Simulation: Complete."_ It announced

Predator looked up at the Observer Room and was greeted with a group of astonished smiles—a little bit of an applause added by Beast Boy.

"So, how'd I do?" Predator asked, tired.

"Cyborg?" Robin turned to him expectantly.

"Final time was 8 minutes and 33.34 seconds." Cyborg said. "One of the best times ever logged in on this program, and definitely one of the most impressive."

"So, we're done here?" Predator asked.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'd say that's the true work of a Teen Titan." Cyborg said with a smile.

"Indeed!" Starfire commented, joyfully. "It was simply glorious! He has shown the true potential and has proven himself worthy. My friend, you are victorious!"

"Great work." Robin said. "You've really outdone yourself. Not only have you proven you can handle yourself alone, but you've also proven what you're capable of in the field, combat and stealth-wise."

"Don't I get to say something?" Beast Boy asked. "I wanna say something!"

"That's okay, we already know what you think." Cyborg answered, receiving a scowl from him.

"Congratulations, Predator. You've passed your initiation." Robin said.

"Yeah, thanks guys. That, uh… that really means a lot." Predator said, a small smile appearing on his face.

"You probably wanna go back to sleep now." Robin said.

"Are you kidding?" Predator smirked. "I'm wide awake, now. Come on, let's go another round!"

"For real?" Cyborg asked.

"Yeah, and let's take off the soft gloves this time. Give me the best you've got."

"Okay, if you say so." Cyborg said. He turned a dial on the console up Level 9, activating the training session while Predator readied himself once again.

"By the way…" Beast Boy said to the other Titans. The microphone was off now, and Predator could no longer hear them. "Of all of us, who has the best time on these training programs?"

"That would be Raven." Cyborg said. "With 5.24 seconds."

"Aw, come on!" Beast Boy said. "That's cheating! How are we supposed to beat her score?"

"Well, you're not exactly close to breaking a record anytime soon." Raven said.

"Yeah, Mr. Nineteen-and-a-Half Minutes." Cyborg said.

Beast Boy frowned and crossed his arms.

To Be Continued...


	6. Chapter 6

_**Chapter 6**_

After a half hour of training, Predator headed into the lobby with his new friends. He listened for about 25 minutes to the story of how the Titans first met each other.

"So you guys still became friends and formed a team, even after a…big misunderstanding like that?" Predator asked.

"Yes, and we have been the best of friends." Starfire answered.

"Well, it's…quite a story." Predator commented. "You guys must have had quite the adventures over the years."

"We've had our ups and downs but we always pull through in the end." Robin said.

"Hey, dude, I've noticed something, lately." Beast Boy spoke up as they all sat on the couch.

"What's that?" Predator asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You seem very fond of turning into land animals, like wild cats and dogs. But what about birds?"

"What about them?"

"I mean you can turn into birds too, right?" Beast Boy asked.

"Mainly birds of prey, like hawks and owls. Why?"

"Well, can't you fly?"

"Of course...I just choose not to."

"Why? Is it because the wings make you itchy?" A pair of bird wings grew on Beast Boy's back and he scratched at them.

"I'm not really comfortable with the vibrations in the air." Predator answered self-consciously. "It makes my head spin like crazy."

"I fly by thinking positive thoughts." Starfire said. "Perhaps if you tried this, you would no longer experience the vertigo?"

"I don't think that's the case, Star. It's just something I prefer not to do." Predator said. "I move a lot faster on foot, anyway."

"A shape-shifter that hates flying?" Raven said. "That's interesting."

"I know it's a sad story. But hey, that's just me." Predator rubbed the back of his head.

"That reminds me..." Cyborg said, thinking backwards. "You never got the chance to tell us your backstory, man. Can you tell us now?"

"Yes, please tell us." Starfire agreed, pressing her hands together. "We would like to hear the story of how you became you."

Predator sighed and looked down for a moment, biting his bottom lip.

"Guys, I...I wish I could, but I don't really like to talk about it." He said. "There are some things from my past that I don't like to remember. I've tried to force myself to forget about it...but it never goes away, no matter what I do. It keeps catching up and it bothers me."

They stared at him and the look on his face clearly indicated how troubled he seemed. The four other Titans redirected their attention to Raven and she nodded out of consent for his wishes since she already knew what Predator's past consisted of and the impact it's had on him.

"If it really bothers you..." Robin spoke up, calmly. "You don't have to tell us everything. Would you at least be willing to tell us how you got your powers?"

Predator stared at all of them, lost in thought. He normally didn't like to talk about his past but after all they'd done for him the past few days, he guessed it would only be fair to tell them a little bit about him. He looked down and sighed, then looked back up to them.

"Well...I guess it's only fair since after all you guys have done for me. I guess I can relive a thing or two." Predator said, looking down as he brought back the memory of how he obtained his powers. "So...I was just a normal kid with a normal life back then. School, home, toys, and most importantly, my parents. My mother, Carai, was a beautiful young woman who worked as a waitress at a fancy restaurant, and my father, Logan, was a Genetic Scientist for Wayne Enterprises. "

"Wait, you mean your dad worked for the largest company in Gotham City?" Cyborg asked in shock. "That's a pretty big deal."

"Yeah. Despite that and the long hours they've spent at work, they always made sure I was their first priority. They cared for me no matter what condition or situation we were in. I guess I had what you call 'the good life'. One day, when I was just 10 years old, my mom had been diagnosed with a disease."

* * *

 _(7 years ago)_

A 10 year old non-vigilant Predator, then known as Zachary, stared down at his sick mother, who peacefully rested in the hospital bed in front of them. Like Predator said, she was a beautiful woman with long, shoulder length red hair and hazel eyes. A homemade bracelet made out of candy rested on her wrist. A bracelet made from round candy in which her son had made for her at the age of 6 and kept as her little trinket ever since.

Predator's hair was a little bit shorter than it was now. He wore a black, medium youth t-shirt with a picture of a guitar. The next were blue jeans, a blue wristband on his wrist and a pair of red and white Nike shoes.

Next to him was his father, Logan who was a pretty lean and muscular individual. His hair was brown and short, his eyes were blue with a pair of glasses around them, and a dark-brown goatee. His hand was wrapped around his son's as he too stared at his wife, the look on his face filled with nothing but concern.

 _"The doctors didn't know much…"_ Predator monolgued to his friends. _"Only that that it was similar to lung cancer, and that it was fatal. I was so young, and I had no idea what that meant. I now realize he was saying that my mom was dying. As we left the hospital I looked at my dad and I could see the pain and suffering in his eyes. He couldn't bear to live in a world without my mom. She meant the world to us both."_

"Dad..." The young Zachary called, the tone in his voice a little lighter. "Is Mom going to be okay?"

Logan looked down at him with a look that seemed very undecipherable. It was melancholy, anger and frustration mixed into one form. But then all of a sudden, all those emotions were mixed with courage and determination. A reassuring smile shined on his face as he knelt down and wrapped his son into a hug.

 _"He looked me in the eye and told me she was going to be 'just fine'. Deep down I knew he was lying but at the same time... he was telling the truth. That day, my dad decided to look for a cure for her disease. One that would not only make her better but would also destroy the virus completely."_

Logan, now wearing his laboratory gear—a white lab coat, goggles and black pants—lifted a test tube filled with some sort of blue substance. On the table in front of him was a watch glass with a small, contaminated blood sample—which he had obtained from his wife—on it. He opened his drawer and grabbed a dropper pipet from inside. He slowly inserted the pipet into the test tube and filled it with the blue liquid.

Placing the substance back into the test tube rack, Logan carefully placed the pipet above the blood sample and squeezed a tiny drop of the blue substance into it. Logan picked up the glass and carefully placed it onto a magnifier. He looked into it and analyzed the contaminated blood cells now mixed with the blue substance. He watched as the blue particles approached the red blood cells, veiled in a white particle, indicated to be the virus. Once the blue particles connected with the blood cells, they were literally consumed by the virus and caused it to increase in size. This affect continued until every last blue particle completely vanished and the virus grew more and more after every one.

Logan glared at the blood sample and sighed in disappointment. The experiment was not only a complete failure, but it actually made the virus even worse.

 _"No matter how many times he failed, he always pushed himself to move forward. Every day he grew more and more determined in finding a cure. He wouldn't stop for anything, no matter how bad either of us wanted him to. He would work days, nights and overtime—even on weekends when he didn't even have to work. What he didn't realize though, was the effect it was having on me. With my mom being in the hospital and him away from home so much, I started to feel…alone. Since then, after school I had to be babysat by my Aunt Christine."_

He sat next to his aunt on the couch, his head rested on her lap as they both watched the TV across from them. His aunt was also considered a beautiful young woman with black hair, and grey blue eyes. She wore a light blue sweater a silver necklace and a pair of blue jeans. A wedding ring rested on her ring finger. Her arm was wrapped around her nephew as she noticed his eyes starting to get heavy. She smiled and caressed her hand on his back as he slowly fell into a deep sleep.

 _"Being with my aunt wasn't all bad, but what I really wanted was to be with my parents. But the more time I spent away from them, the more I started to feel we were growing apart. We weren't much of a 'family' anymore. I was sad, I was lonely…"_

The small boy lied down in his bed as the rain patted against his window. His room was a small red-wall painted room with animated posters on one part of it. There was also a toy box, a little desk and a TV. The room however had a small number of toys sprawled on the floor as well as a few papers; all drawn on by crayons. The red blankets covered him up to his neck as a waterfall of tears fell from his eyes. He rolled over, his body now facing the wall while Christine sympathetically stood at the doorway watching her sad little nephew as she heard him sniffling quietly.

 _"For two whole months, my dad focused on nothing else but the cure. It was an obsession for him. Then one day, a miracle happened. He found it…the cure."_

Following the same strategy from before, Logan looked into the magnifier and was shocked to see the dark brown particles instantly wipe the white particles virus in just a few seconds. The virus had been completely wiped away. Pretty soon the brown substance itself evaporated as well, revealing nothing but a healthy blood sample. A victorious smile spread on his cheeks.

 _"Turns out he had used DNA from carnivores all over the world, even ones that were extinct. How he managed to obtain those samples is beyond me. Something about their blood cells mixed into one whole thing was enough to wipe out the virus from an individual's cells completely. Since the virus was most likely similar to cancer, my dad and some others ran a few tests on people also diagnosed with the stuff. And then, well...I guess you can say the experimentation was a success."_

* * *

 _(Present Day)_

"Whoa, wait a minute." Cyborg interrupted. "I remember reading something about this." Cyborg pressed a few buttons on his arm and a holographic news article appeared on the screen at the front of the room. It was a rather old news article which dated back to the year 1998. On the side was a picture of Predator's father. The heading on the paper read:

 **" Scientist for Wayne Enterprises Develops Cure for Cancer"**

"Your dad was Logan Paxton?" Cyborg asked as he scrolled down reading more of the article. "Then that means you're..."

"Yep..." Predator sighed, glumly looking at the picture.

"So your dad was pretty much a legend." Beast Boy said. "Did he get a Nobel or something?"

"Don't think so." Cyborg replied, scrolling over to the page from a few days later. This time there was a picture of a burned-up laboratory, similar to Logan's and the heading read:

 **" Lab Explosion at Wayne Enterprises; Higher-Ups Forced to Condemn Cure"**

"It says here there was a huge explosion in his lab a few days before the cure went public. They thought Logan was driven mad by his wife's condition and tried to release a dangerous drug. After the incident, they erased all of his data and research from the archives to prevent it from being replicated."

"How were you able to get your powers if they destroyed the 'cure'?" Robin asked. "And how can a canister of animal DNA turn out combustible in the first place?"

"Because it wasn't!" Predator slammed his fists into the table. The Titans looked at him in shock. "There was nothing wrong with the cure. It was fine since the first day my dad created it. It wasn't detrimental, it was sabotaged."

"But how do you know that?" Cyborg asked.

"Because I was there on that day. I know exactly what happened…"

"When news of the cure was leaked before its official announcement, everyone went crazy. It wasn't enough rid me of my depression, though. At that point, my dad finally started to realize how much I felt left out."

* * *

Logan entered his home and was greeted by his son and Christine watching TV in the living room. His sister got up from the couch and approached him, shooting him a serious glare. She nudged her head towards Zachary.

Logan walked over to his son and knelt down in front of him. The child simply gave him a blank stare as his father gave an apologetic expression and wrapped his arms around him. His son however, did not hug him back.

 _"He told me how sorry he was with how strained our relationship had become. He wanted to make things right with me, so he told me to come visit him at his job. It wasn't exactly the best way to fix our bond, but…it was a start. The next day after school, I took the bus to his job and there he was, waiting for me at the bus stop."_

Zachary stepped out of the bus, but the look on his face showed nothing but depression. Logan greeted his son with a forced-cheerful smile. He held his hand out and the boy slowly reached up and grabbed hold of it. Logan led him into the tall skyscraper and Zachary was immediately in awe from all the high tech machinery around him. Shortly after they arrived at Logan's laboratory, where Zachary quickly noticed a container filled with some sort of brown substance. But before he could go near it, his dad lead him into an Observer Room located next door to the lab. Logan opened the door, revealing a small box of toys inside. The small child stared at the box for a moment but the look on his face clearly indicated he wasn't satisfied.

 _"You would think my dad would have come up with something a lot more original than a bunch of toys. I had spent two months of my life, being picked up from school and going home, everyday living in sorrow because my own father was too keen on finding a cure for that stupid virus. My mom couldn't do anything because of her sickness and my aunt had to force herself to take a few days off from work, just to take care of me. Part of me never wanted to forgive him...but at the same time, another part of me wanted to at least try to reconcile our relationship. So just for the sake of it, I decided to play along."_

Zachary looked up at his father with a small smile and made his way towards the toys. There was so much stuff in the box that it was hard for him to pick out what to play with first. Logan started to follow until a voice had called for him via intercom.

 _"Dr. Paxton, you're needed at Lab 43."_ The female voice had called. The two looked up at the intercom, then at each other. Zachary blankly stared at him some more but that didn't stop his father from giving him a reassured look and hugging him once more.

"I'll be right back." Logan said before standing up and heading out of the Observer Room, then through the exit, leaving Zachary alone.

Zachary scowled in anger and disappointment and went back to playing with his toys. The sound of the door sliding back open made him turn around. He hoped that his father had changed his mind and came back to be with him…but it wasn't him.

Entering the lab was a rather muscular figure, wearing a lab coat similar to the other employees. Facial features consisted of long black and gray hair, a trimmed, black goatee and one blue eye. In his hand was a small test tube filled with some sort of black liquid. Zachary felt his heart skip a beat as the man briefly glanced at him, before turning his attention to something else in the room. He walked past Zachary and towards a glass vile resting in a stand on a table. The child watched as the man opened the vile and poured the black liquid into it, causing it to fizz a little in the process. The black liquid changed to match the color of the original fluid. Without a single word, the man calmly exited the laboratory, turning back and giving a small wave and smirk to the boy. Tranquility slowly took its place in Zachary's body as he started to play with his building blocks.

A few minutes went by until Logan returned and waved at him. Unfortunately for Zachary, he walked past him and headed towards the cure. Zachary narrowed his eyebrows and continued with what he was doing. Logan lifted the container and placed it on the Bunsen burner.

 _"The cure was required for one more experiment until it could be fully deployed...but when my dad heated it up..."_

The cure suddenly started to fizz uncontrollably and steam started to shoot out of it. Logan stared at it in stunned shock when…

 _"That was when my life changed forever..."_

 ** _"KABOOOOOM!"_** The mixture churned and exploded violently, shaking the entire room. The explosion was wide enough to spread through the entire laboratory, all the way towards the Observer Room.

The child looked up as the glass shattered right in front of him and the fire started to spread into the room. The child was blown back onto the floor as a piece of the glass slashed across his right eye, leaving a vicious scar. The impact instantly caused a few bruises and scratches against his skin, a number of them where blood was drawn. He was slammed hard against the wall and was knocked unconscious in an instant.

Shortly later, the paramedics and the fire department arrived and put out the fire. They quickly located the unconscious boy and transported him by ambulance to the hospital. But what they were very unaware of was some sort of change taking place inside of his blood cells.

* * *

"My dad died from the explosion and I was put in a coma for six months." Predator continued. "The radiation from the explosion found its way inside me through my wounds. My blood cells were mixed with the carnivore DNA and it altered my bloodline into something...different. It turned me into a breed of half-human, half-animal. Anyone who received the cure before then only had few side effects like aggression and extreme hunger. Me...I got the whole package."

"And your mother…?" Starfire asked.

"She never got the cure and...she died two weeks after the explosion." Predator answered unsteadily.

The Titans stared at him sympathetically as his look became more stern. He shot up from the couch and took a few steps forward. He swiftly turned to them and said:

"My father wasn't a failure—he was a genius." He growled in anger. "He created something that would have saved countless lives... and I hated him for it. His actions got him killed by some random freak, and I just sat there and watched him. I didn't do anything to stop it."

"There was nothing you could have done, Predator." Robin said. "You were just a little boy."

"But still, I wish I did something... _anything_ to prevent his death. That guy took away probably the best years of my life...and now look at me. I'm...I'm so different now. I'm dangerous…I'd probably be a monster if I didn't have any respect for my powers."

"But that's exactly what makes you different from an animal, dude." Beast Boy said. "I mean, look at me: I can turn into literally any animal, but that doesn't make me any less human." He lifted his leg up and scratched the back of his head.

"Right…" Predator said, dejectedly.

"What he means is that you're still a person, no matter how much of an animal you might act like." Raven said.

"And an animal wouldn't have tried so hard to keep his powers in check." Robin said, standing up and approaching him. "It shows a lot of integrity that you worked to become a hero. I think if your parents could see you now, they'd tell you exactly how proud they are."

"But the things I've done in the past, the things I've struggled to forget about...clearly degrade me from proclaiming myself a hero at all. I can't even live with using my real name anymore. No matter how hard I try, no matter how much good I accomplish...I always see myself as a monster."

"But dude...you're missing the best part of it all." Beast Boy added.

"What's that?" Predator asked, confused.

"You met some pretty cool new friends and became a Teen Titan along the way. Look at the progress you've made so far: you survived a fall off a building, you broke a record in the gym and you took down an eight-hundred pound monster."

"And if that's not the nature of a true hero, then I don't know what is." Cyborg said. A small smile rose on Predator's cheeks as they all gave him encouraging smiles. "We may not know what you've done back then, but I'm pretty sure you'll be able to make a change for yourself and forget all about it. All it takes is some time, man. You just gotta be patient."

"You know...you're right." Predator sighed. "Maybe I am being a little too hard on myself. I shouldn't take all this frustration out on me. I have done some things back then, but that doesn't mean I can't better myself. Now that I think of it, ever since I met you guys my life has suddenly became a whole lot better."

"We are your friends, Predator." Starfire smiled. "We will always be here to help you."

"No matter what you've done or how bad things may seem." Raven finished.

"Thanks you guys." Predator thanked, receiving smiles and nods from all of them. "Whew, well now that the sappy emotional warfare is taken care of, what's the agenda for—what the _heck_ is that?!"

Predator pointed with wide eyes at a small, slimy creature on the floor slithering its way towards Starfire.

"Silkie. Have you come to meet our new friend?" Starfire said, picking it up and cradling it in her arms. Predator trembled, disgusted by the fact that she would even touch the thing.

"Uhh, what?"

"Predator, please say hello to Silkie. He has been a part of our family for some time now." Starfire said, rubbing her head against him.

"Wait, let me get this straight: you guys carry around a giant larvae as a pet?" He asked in disbelief.

"It's a kind of a long story actually." Robin answered. "You see he was once a giant, mutated moth controlled by Killer Moth a while back. Eventually we defeated him and he and the other moths morphed back into larvae."

"We weren't planning on keeping him as a pet but then _Beast Boy_ deliberately snuck him into the tower and now he more or less belongs to Starfire now."

Predator raised an eyebrow at Beast Boy, who grinned nervously with a drop of sweat falling from his forehead.

"You do know, I'm still mad that he almost ate my leg, right?" Cyborg snapped, glaring at Beast Boy.

"Hey I'm not the one who fed him alien berries." He argued, innocently.

"You know what, I really don't wanna know." Predator sighed as he and Robin sat back on the couch. "I'm just gonna have to learn to get used to him."

"Do not worry, Predator." Starfire smiled. "A guarantee you two will be the best of friends. Do you not notice how adorable he is?" She pointed Silkie real close to his face causing him to lean back in disgust, his right eyes squinted a bit.

Silkie screetched loudly at him as a wave of slimy mucus dripped down from his body and landed on Predator's boot.

"Yeah...cute." Predator groaned, fighting the urge to gag. The others couldn't help but giggle at him.

To Be Continued...


	7. Chapter 7: Wild Boys

**_Chapter 7: Wild Boys_**

 _(3:15 A.M. Three Days Later)_

Beast Boy rolled over in bed, sleeping soundlessly with a smile on his face. He awoke abruptly, hearing the sound of footsteps distantly down the hallway.

 _'Who could be up at this time of night?'_ He thought as he sat up and crawled out of bed. He put on his shoes and quietly walked towards the door, placing his ear to it to listen. The footsteps got louder as they passed by his door, and quickly became quieter as they moved further away. Beast Boy quietly opened the door and stuck his head out. He towards the source of the noise and noticed a fully-dressed Predator just before he disappeared into the elevator.

 _'What's he doing up so late?'_ As the elevator closed, Beast Boy left the room and moved closer to it. The blue-lit numbers indicated the lift was headed to the roof. Beast Boy couldn't help but feel the need to follow. He went back into his room and opened the window, and flew out in the morph of a hawk towards the roof. He perched himself on top of the elevator while taking on the inconspicuous shape of a fly.

The elevator dinged and Predator stepped out. Beast Boy watched silently as Predator walked towards the edge of the rooftop and stared into the open view of the city.

 _'Why is he up so late? Is he having trouble sleeping? Is there something on his mind?'_ Beast Boy wondered. Either way, he felt something was up.

Predator suddenly jumped off the roof, moving through the air at a pretty good distance. Beast Boy gasped in surprise as he morphed back to normal form. At this point, it became official that something was up.

* * *

After what felt like a whole hour of following Predator through the city—while watching him jump from roof-to-roof—Beast Boy eventually found himself growing increasingly tired from flying, though he strived to catch up with Predator's speed.

Meanwhile Predator didn't seem to be affected by any of the activity. Wherever he was going, it was sure far away. Beast Boy debated internally whether following him would be worth it.

* * *

Another 5 minutes passed and Beast Boy soon found them at the city's border, and realized they were headed right into:

 _'Gotham City?'_ Beast Boy thought, taking view of the bright city before him. It's been a while since Beast Boy's last visit to Gotham and as far as he could tell, it looked completely the same. Something told him Predator was having a case of homesickness.

Speaking of which, Beast Boy looked down and watched as Predator pounced on a wall and jumped on a roof. He walked towards the edge and stared out at the open, taking a moment to catch his breath. Beast Boy carefully descended down on a building behind him and took the opportunity to relax his wings. Unfortunately it was not to last for Predator had suddenly jumped from the rooftop and landed on a smaller one ahead of him.

Beast Boy groaned in silent frustration as he took back into the air, keeping his eye on Predator as best as he could.

After what felt like another fifteen minutes, Beast Boy found himself following Predator into the suburbs. He suddenly felt his wings giving up on him. His forehead started to sweat profusely as he slowly descended down until he fell flat on a nearby tree. He morphed back into his normal form, panting heavily as his arms pumped like rapid heartbeats.

"How...how does he do it?" He said to himself, gasping for air. "After all that he's still on the move. I don't think I can keep up at this pace."

He slowly sat up and took hold of his surroundings. For some people, the first thing that came to mind in regards to Counties, they'd think of wide open fields with a bit more cleansed environments. But when it came to Gotham County, you'd have thought wrong. The environment in Gotham County was almost an exact replica of Gotham City: trash on the streets, graffiti on some of the walls and the corrupted roaming the streets. The only thing that looked even remotely clean was the homes.

There was a path of six houses with badly carved wooden fences blocking each side. At the end was a rather dark, creepy looking woodland area. Other than that, there was a large view of the city's skyline.

Beast Boy crawled on the tree branch monkey-like and was surprised to spot Predator standing in front of one of the houses. He raised an eyebrow as Predator approached the house then hopped on the tree next to it. Next thing he knew, Predator jumped up and was out of sight.

Beast Boy jumped down and ran over the house he went in. It was a rather decent-looking, medium-sized home.

'Million-dollar question: what's he doing here?' Beast Boy morphed into a finch and flew towards the same window Predator went into.

Taking a look inside, he saw a gray carpeted bedroom with blue-painted walls with a few Rock 'N' Roll posters, a queen-sized bed with red sheets, a laptop on the other side of the room next to a 15" flat screen TV and four different pairs of tennis shoes sprawled all over the floor. Needless to say the room looked like it belonged to a teenager. At the very end of the room, he could see a halfway closed door, indicating Predator was now somewhere roaming around the house.

Beast Boy flew around the house and searched around until he eventually spotted him in a room across from the previous one. To his confusion, Predator wasn't doing anything at all. He was just standing at the entrance, blankly staring at two people—a man and a woman, both looked to be in their late 30s—sleeping soundly.

Predator suddenly stepped out of the room without even a breath. The door slowly closed itself but Beast Boy could see him walking down the stairs. He quickly flew down to the front of the house and peaked through the window, morphing back to human.

So many questions roamed through Beast Boy's head. 'Why was Predator here? Who were those people in that bedroom? Why didn't he tell the others he was leaving in the first place? Did this mean he was quitting the team, even after just a few days? Or was Predator secretly a criminal the whole time?' Whatever the case, Predator was clearly here for a reason. He just needed to find out why.

He watched as Predator walked down the stairs and stood over a line of photos. Predator lifted it up and stared at it. Beast Boy squinted to see if he could get a better look of the photo until he suddenly felt his nose twitch. He gasped a few times until he smacked his hands against his nose. Unfortunately, the strain in his nose was too intense and he let out a loud sneeze.

Predator's ears twitched and he looked back. Beast Boy's eyes widened as he quickly crouched down on the ground. The window suddenly opened, indicating it was Predator looking outside. Beast Boy covered his mouth as he felt a drop of sweat falling from his forehead. His body trembled from hearing Predator's breathing right above him. To Beast Boy, the following ten seconds which felt like an hour, he heard his footsteps moving away from him and he let out a sigh of relief.

 _'Whew, that was close.'_ He thought, standing back on his feet. He turned and was met with a very unhappy Predator. His eyes went wide as he was forcefully tackled to the ground. Predator pinned him to the ground and angrily growled at him.

"What're you doing here?" Predator growled. "Why did you follow me?"

"What are _you_ doing here?" Beast Boy asked.

"I'm working here, Green Bean." Predator retorted, angrily. "Why are you following me?"

"Leaving in the middle of the night and sneaking into someone's house? What kind of work is that, other than the illegal kind?"

"What are you...? Oh, don't tell me you're thinking what I think you're thinking." Predator groaned, standing up.

"I just watched you break into this house. That doesn't leave a lot of explanations. How could you do this to us?" Beast Boy said, angrily.

"Kid..." Predator tried to interject.

"We trusted you, dude. After all we've done for you, you choose now to leave the team and show your true side!"

"Kid..." Predator said again, this time a little more aggravated.

"How long were you gonna plan on doing this? Do you have any idea how-"

Predator interrupted him by forcefully grabbing his shirt and pulling him to his feet. He glared at him angrily and said:

"Stop talking and listen closely: I. AM. NOT. A. CRIMINAL. And I am not quitting the team. So before you start making accusations, get your facts straight first. Got me?" He growled sternly. Beast Boy nodded nervously and Predator let him go, dropping him flat on the ground.

"Well then, what are you doing here?" Beast Boy asked, standing back on his feet. "Why did you sneak out in the middle of the night?"

"It's really hard to explain." Predator said. "I didn't want to tell anyone about it."

"Why not, dude? We're your friends, don't you trust us?"

"I do, but...I just...I..." Predator sighed as he struggled for a response. "Look...the reason I came here is because I know these people. They used to help me out a while back when things were hectic. The room that I snuck into belonged to their son and... well, I guess you saw the rest. He was a good kid, really."

"What happened to him?"

"He died." Predator answered, bluntly. "He was caught in the line of fire during a gang shooting; it had a bad effect on them. So I come by here every once in a while to make sure they're okay.

"Dude, I...I didn't know." Beast Boy's tone changed to apologetic.

"Well, now you do. Look, just don't worry about it; it's not your fault. Anyway, there's something I still need to do. Stay right here and I'll be right back." Predator turned and jumped through the window, leaving Beast Boy alone.

A few minutes went by until Predator returned with a ball of paper in his hands. Beast Boy sat up from the ground and looked at the ball.

"What's that?" Beast Boy pointed at it.

"Nothing. Just...nothing." Predator said, dropping the paper ball and stomping it in the dirt. "Come on, let's go." Predator started to walk the other direction while Beast Boy looked at the now crumpled paper for a moment then quickly followed him.

Predator and Beast Boy were back in the city traversing the rooftops. Predator knew they'd get home faster above ground. The streets weren't exactly safe at this time of night anyway.

For the longest time they remained silent, not speaking to each other. Beast Boy held his head down in guilt. Sure he was in the right in making sure he wasn't getting into any trouble but at the same time, he felt he had made a big mistake. He looked up at Predator, who continued to walk forward.

"Uh...Predator." He spoke up. Predator stopped and looked back at him. "About earlier I...I just wanna say I'm-"

"Yeah, yeah, me too." Predator interrupted in a low tone. "I should have let you guys know. I don't want you to get the wrong idea about me. Let's just forget this whole thing."

"Yeah, good idea." Beast Boy said with a smile. "So...we're still cool, right?"

"Yeah." He smirked, then taking a look at the city below them.

"Why did you move out of Gotham?" Beast Boy asked also looking down at it.

"Eh, I just left for the sake of it. This city holds too many memories and it's had a bad effect on me. But now that I think about it, I kind of, almost miss it. Ever since I left I've felt a little off-edge."

"Maybe because this is your hometown?"

"Probably. Or maybe it's because Jump City's a bit...quiet for my taste."

"Yeah...um, quick question: in Gotham, do ice-cream trucks usually come by this time of night?" Beast Boy asked.

"What? No it's the middle of autumn, why?" Predator asked confused.

"Well, don't look now, but…" Beast Boy pointed towards the street.

Predator ran to him and looked down. A white ice-cream truck was driving wildly through the streets. In the middle of the street was a homeless looking man who was rolling an empty shopping cart around. He took notice to the incoming truck—which made no attempt to slow down or move—and quickly jumped out of the way. The truck collided into the shopping cart, smashing it into pieces.

"Geez, dude." Beast Boy said. "I know some people wanna get home before it melts, but…"

"I'm pretty sure this guy's up to no good. I don't even smell any ice cream from the truck."

"Maybe it all melted?" Beast Boy said.

"It would still have a scent." Predator said, annoyed. "Even if that was the case there's still no reason for someone to drive like that. Come on."

"Say what?" Beast Boy asked, surprised.

"We've gotta stop him before someone gets hurt." Predator stood and jumped down from the roof.

"Don't you think we should let the cops handle this?" Beast Boy called as he followed him.

"The cops rely on one person to do their work for them. They won't even step foot to stop a two-wheeler." Predator answered as the truck started to turn a corner. "Look, that thing's getting away, are you coming or not?"

Predator jumped off the roof and landed feet first on the pavement. His eyes shifted blood red and he immediately gave chase on all fours. Beast Boy sighed in defeat and morphed into an eagle.

The driver had a very blithe expression on his face as he showed no remorse for his reckless driving. He was a very scrawny individual with long blonde hair, gray eyes with stumbles on his face. His outfit consisted of a jean jacket and black khakis. We'll call him Jeff the Driver. He shouted something landed on the roof making the truck shake. A series of loud thuds followed along until he saw Predator land on the hood.

"Hey, Monster Jam, stop the truck!" Predator shouted at him, receiving an angry glare. "You're gonna kill somebody."

"Oh, I'll kill somebody alright." Jeff muttered. He pulled a revolver from his jacket and pointed it at Predator.

"Great." He groaned.

Predator's eyes widened and he jumped up as Jeff unloaded a series of gunshots at him through the glass. Jeff immediately stopped firing but kept his gun raised in case something else would happen. A few seconds went by and so far there was no sign of him. Jeff started to sit back until Predator, from out of nowhere, punched through the glass of the driver's seat and yanked the door off its hinges.

Jeff raised the gun only for Predator to punch it out of his hand. Predator kept a firm grip on the truck as he delivered a series of punches to Jeff's face. The truck swayed side to side until it suddenly bounced off the ground, forcing Predator to lose his grip. Predator quickly grabbed hold of the doorway with one hand before he could fall off.

Jeff sat up and rubbed some blood off his lip. He watched as Predator struggled to hold himself steady. Jeff picked his gun up and pointed it at him once more. The truck suddenly ran over a speed bump, causing Predator to lose grip and send him flying through the air. Jeff let out a cheeky smirk and quickly steadied the truck. His radiance was replaced with confusion as he felt a constant rumble from behind.

"What the-?" He looked into the side mirror and his eyes went wide. An unscathed Predator was riding on the back of a large, green pterodactyl. The dinosaur let out a load squawk as it started to gain on him. Jeff pressed his foot down on the accelerator but he couldn't outrun them.

Up ahead a civilian was leaned against the wall holding a bottle of beer. He brought the drink up to his lip until he heard the sound of a speeding truck engine and an unworldly screeching sound. An ice cream truck came speeding down the road, followed by a green flying dinosaur with a teenager on his back. The man's eyes widened as he did a double-take at the scene. He looked down at his bottle and dropped it on the ground.

Beast Boy and Predator closed in on the truck, with Predator jumping off of BB and onto the roof. He swung around back to the front of the car to face Jeff.

"Last chance." Predator said. "Stop the car and cooperate peacefully, or you're gonna get hurt, really bad."

"Go away, you circus freak." Jeff protested, raising an obscene finger gesture at him.

"You're not gonna be 'number one' after this, pal. Alright, BB, drop it!" Predator shouted before skillfully jumping off the car and landing on the ground.

Jeff turned around to see Predator land, just a split-second before the whole truck suddenly flipped over on its side, throwing Jeff around as it skidded for several hundred meters before losing speed and grinding to a halt.

Jeff grunted and crawled his way out of the door. He looked up, hearing the sound and thud of enormous footsteps, and looked up to see a giant green T-rex approach him. Jeff shouted in alarm and fell back into the truck.

Predator caught back up with Beast Boy and the truck soon enough. He jumped on top of the truck and reached in, grabbing Jeff by the jacket and lifting him straight out of it. He tossed him to the ground in front of the dinosaur BB. Jeff screamed hysterically as he crawled away, walling himself against the underside of the truck. Beast Boy turned back to human form as Predator stepped down and grabbed him by the collar, throwing him to the ground and stomping on his chest, close to his neck.

"Okay, dipstick, what's the big idea?" Predator growled, and sharpening his teeth.

"I ain't telling you jack." Jeff resentfully choked.

Predator listened carefully to his heartbeat, which was working rapidly.

"I don't want to hear about Jack!" Predator raised his tone. "I can tell just by looking at you that it's not ice cream you're delivering. What were you in such a hurry for?"

"You aren't him. You've got nothin' on me, you hear? Nothin'!"

"Check the truck." He directed to Beast Boy, keeping his eye on Jeff.

"You got it." Beast Boy ran to the truck and opened the back door. He shouted as an unbelievable number of weapons—more specifically guns and ammunition—slid out from inside. However these guns were more overly-advanced military guns. There were machine guns, assault rifles, shotguns, you name it. Predator glared back at Jeff who began to sweat in fear. He grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him up close.

"Start talking, or I'll make sure you never say a word to anyone ever again." Predator said.

"Okay, okay." Jeff gave in. "I-I've been hired to smuggle weapons into the city for my boss. But it's not just me. There's others too. I'm only doing it to make a quick buck."

"How many others are there? Where are they coming from?!" Predator lifted him in the air with one hand.

"Th-th-the trucks are being deployed from Jump City, that's all I know. After that I just deliver the weapons to my boss. I don't know how many there are, man."

Beast Boy looked at him in shock, while Predator grew more furious.

"Who's your boss?!"

"I don't know, I-I've never seen him. Honest!" Jeff yelled. Predator clenched his teeth and threw him in front of Beast Boy. Predator stomped on his chest again, pinning him to the ground while taking a knee. Beast Boy morphed back into a T-Rex and viciously roared at him. Jeff let out a terrified scream until he let up.

"AAAAGH! I don't know, I don't know, I swear." He screamed.

Predator narrowed his eyebrows even more when he noticed a small piece of paper sticking out of his pants pocket. He reached down and grabbed a small card, which he quickly examined. A sly smile spread in his cheeks.

"Take a nap." Predator slammed his knee against his skull, knocking him unconscious. Beast Boy morphed back to normal with a look of disbelief.

"What'd you do that for? Was he telling the truth?" Beast Boy asked.

"No, he was lying, but we've got the answer right here." Predator ripped the card in half and threw it away. "Come on, let's go."

"Where're we going?"

"To visit an old 'friend' of mine."

To Be Continued...

* * *

 ** _Sorry it took me a while. I've been busy. Anyway, questions, concerns or comments, leave it a review. Until then, thank you and goodnight._**


	8. Chapter 8

**_Chapter 8:_**

 _ **Bleake Island, Gotham City**_

 _ **Banging Skull**_

 _ **5:17 AM**_

Predator and Beast Boy stared down at the bar from a nearby rooftop. It was a rather dumpy-looking building with a skull-shaped neon sign flashing by the front door. A red carpet led towards the door where a bulky security guard blocked the entrance.

"This is the place." Predator said.

"This place looks like it needs a renovation more than it needs a bouncer." Beast Boy said. "You've been here before?"

"This is where former and future ex-cons come every night to stuff themselves with beer, anger and despair while they look for work." Predator explained. "Most of the jobs aren't very well-organized, and the thugs just end up in jail."

"You think we'll find our guy here?"

"The bartender runs the place, and he has a criminal record himself. He's made a career out of working with the most notorious crime bosses in Gotham. Only he would know who's capable of stealing military weapons and smuggling them throughout the country."

"So how do we get in? It won't be dressed how we are right now. That begs a death wish."

Two men in street clothes stepped out of the bar and headed to the alley off to the side in between another building. The two Titans stared at the men, then at each other and smiled.

* * *

 _A Few Minutes Later_

Beast Boy stepped out of the alley as he boastfully admired his new look. He wore a brown jacket with a white t-shirt underneath, skinny blue jeans, a metal wrist watch, and a fake silver chain around his neck, and the same tennis shoes. He combed his hair back in the resemblance of Elvis Presley.

"Ladies of Gotham, feast your eyes on the Beast Bad Boy." Beast Boy grinned confidently. A blue background appeared behind him as he put on a pair of dark sunglasses. He sat down on an imaginary moped and put a lollipop in his mouth.

"Yeah, just ignore the green skin." Predator remarked sarcastically.

Beast Boy immediately jumped from his daydream and fell on the ground. He scowled, looking back at Predator as he also stepped out of the alley.

Predator wore a black leather jacket with red lining and a medium black t-shirt with the image of a skull underneath. Next was a pair of blue jeans, a pair of black and white wristbands, a fake gold chain around his neck, and just like Beast Boy he kept on his boots. Finally his hair was jumbled up to look more mess and street.

"Not a bad look, dude." Beast Boy said. "Except…"

"What?" Predator asked, confused.

"You're still wearing the mask." Beast Boy advised. "Come to think of it, I don't think any of us have seen you without it."

"Oh...yeah." He muttered. "I, uh...forgot."

Beast Boy raised his eyebrow curiously as Predator moved his hands up to his face. The only time Predator ever takes off his mask is when he goes to sleep. It had been so long since he had gone without it, especially in public. And like Beast Boy said, neither one of the Titans had ever seen him without it. For Beast Boy, finally seeing him without his mask, made him grow more curious. Predator slowly took off the mask, revealing a scarred right eye and a pair of bright red eyes.

"Whoa, dude... is that your natural eye color?" Beast Boy asked in surprise.

"Yeah… it's one of the effects from the accident." Predator answered as he put his mask in his pocket. "Why don't you wear a mask?"

"Well, I did, for a while. But, well… I'm green, so… yeah, there's not much of an identity to keep secret. Why do you wear one?"

"The mask is for more personal matters; not just my identity. Besides it makes me look cool."

"That's what Robin says about his mask. And he never takes his off either. Come to think of it—lose the scar, spike up the hair, and change the getup, you look exactly like him."

"I do not look like Robin." Predator groaned.

"I'm telling you, dude, the resemblance is uncanny. You two practically look like twins. And it's not just you. There's this one guy, Speedy, that kind of looks like him, too." He pulled in a blackboard with drawings of Robin, Predator and Speedy. The only differences were the masks, the hair, Predator's scar and their combat uniforms. Predator ripped the board to shreds with his claws.

"I do _not_ look like Robin, end of discussion!" Predator growled, aggravated. He pulled out a pair of dark sunglasses and put them on. "Look, let's just get in, get the info and then get out."

"Got it." Beast Boy nodded as they headed towards the bar.

"Listen, stay close to me." Predator said, under his breath. "These guys are a different level than the street trash in Jump City. They'll rip your head off and use your skull as a cookie jar."

Beast Boy cringed at the thought.

"So as of now, don't do what you regularly do." Predator continued. "Don't look at anybody, don't talk about vegan food and do not—I repeat—do not tell jokes... got it?"

Beast Boy nodded as they soon found themselves headed towards the entrance. The security guard suddenly stepped in front of them, shooting them a sour glare. Beast Boy gasped at him wide eyed while Predator kept a straight face.

"Can I help you, gentlemen?" He said, derisively.

"Yeah, ya can start by lettin' me and my brotha in." Predator answered in a New York accent.

"Brother? I-I mean y-yeah." Beast Boy stuttered as he over-acted to create the same accent. "Yeah, yah, I'm his brotha."

"Why are you talking like that?" The bartender asked, frowning.

"Because we're from a-New York, ma-yan." Beast Boy said.

Predator rolled his eyes and sighed quietly.

"Alright, whatever you say." The bartender said. "Why are you green?"

"It's a skin condition, jerk wad; ever heard of it?" Predator answered bluntly. "Why don'tcha try showing a little respect?"

"My apologies." The guard replied sarcastically. "I'm gonna need to see some ID."

"We...don't have any." Beast Boy answered.

"No ID, no entry."

"Look, Big Show, we know the boss." Predator said. "Now step aside."

"Likely story. You're either gettin' in with an ID, getting outta here without one, or you're gettin' your butts kicked." He warned leaning towards Predator's face. "What's it gonna be?"

Predator stared at him and smirked.

* * *

 _A Few Seconds Later_

The two Titans stepped through the curtain and walked into the bar. The bar was dimly lit and filled with a numerous bunch of felons, all of whom were either drinking, playing darts or shooting pool while the theme from 'Rebellion 2001' played from the jukebox. There was a row of six tables on each side and two TVs hanging from the ceiling. Predator narrowed his eyebrows once he noticed the bartender at the end of the room.

He was a rather large individual with gray hair on the back of his head, brown eyes and freckles on his cheeks. He wore a green and white sweater with a white button up and a black tie underneath. Next were his blue pants and black shoes. He suddenly dropped the mug in his hand and glared at the two 'teenagers' approaching him.

"Um, dude?" Beast Boy asked, quietly. "How many times have you been here?"

"Once or twice." Predator answered.

"And you've been at this crime-fighting thing for how long?"

"Almost two years. Why?"

Beast Boy watched as a group of guys played darts. The target, however, was a picture of Batman's head and the darts were actually assault knives. The men cheered frantically as one of the players landed a knife on his forehead.

"No reason." Beast Boy cried while a drop of sweat fell from his forehead. They arrived at the counter and took a seat.

"How's it goin', Humphrey?" Predator said leaning on the table.

"It's Humbert." The bartender scowled. "Isn't it a school night, kids?"

"Only if you go to school. Me and my brother here do whatever we want."

"Well, do 'whatever you want' outside my bar. I don't serve minors."

"Aw c'mon, Hugo. Is that anyway to treat an old customer?"

"Whaddya talkin' about? You two ain't regulars." Humbert said confused.

"What, you don't recognize me?" Predator smirked roguishly, putting his hand down on the bar and showing him his spandex covered claw.

Humbert immediately went wide eyed.

"Predator!? Aww sh-"

"Easy, big guy. We wouldn't wanna make a scene in front of your customers, now would we?"

"Funny seeing you here." Humbert smirked as he recollected himself. "Last I heard, you moved outta town."

"Thought I'd come back and visit."

"Who's this?" Humbert pointed at BB.

"This is my friend, Beast Boy. You may know him as one of the Teen Titans."

"Yo, dude." Beast Boy greeted him.

"What!? You mean you're-"

"Yep, I'm one of them now." Predator smirked.

"Great. Just when the night couldn't get any crazier. Now whaddya want?" Humbert asked, moving along with cleaning the mug.

"I'll just get right to it." Predator growled. "Earlier tonight we stopped a truck full of weapons from being brought into the city."

"Yeah? And what's that got to do with me?"

"One of the drivers was on their way here. I can't help think you're somehow tied up in all this."

"Yeah? And what makes you say that?" He chuckled.

"Because if I remember correctly, you've worked for a lot of criminals back then. That means you know who's behind all this—and you're gonna tell us."

"Heh." Humbert sneered. "Get out of here. I've got a business to run." Humbert turned his back on them, putting the clean mug away and grabbing another one.

"I know you're involved, Harold." Predator said, causing him to glance back. "I see you sweating… I can hear your heart beating harder than it should… I can smell the gunpowder on you."

Humbert's eyes widened until he made a sly grin.

"Ya know, kid... that nose of yours really gets you into trouble." He said, turning back to them. "Hey fellas!"

The large group of thugs immediately redirected their attention to them while the two Titans did the same.

"We've got two of those masked freaks over here. Waste 'em!"

One of the thugs glared at the two and charged at them with a fist raised. He threw a punch directly at Beast Boy, who covered his face. He peeked his eye open and saw that his fist had been caught by Predator. Predator growled at the man and connected a rock hard punch to his jaw. The impact sent him flying through the air and colliding into a nearby table.

"Big mistake, Herbert. BIG. MISTAKE." Predator growled. He ripped the street clothes off, revealing his combat suit.

"Not as big as yours." He retorted. "And my name is not Herbert!"

"So uh... what's the plan?" Beast Boy asked, jumping out of his seat.

"FIGHT!" Predator exclaimed as he quickly switched his sunglasses back to his mask and fixed his hair.

Beast Boy ripped his clothes off and straightened his hair as a group of eight thugs—John, Aiden, Carlos, Han, Kyle, Penn, Wes and Stan approached them. Many others surrounded them, shouting various profanities and threats.

"Show them what you've got." Predator said, morphing his eyes into those of a red wolf as his ears grew pointy, his fingers turned into claws and his canine teeth grew sharp.

"Uh, don't you mean 'Go!'?" Beast Boy said.

"Fine, go!" Predator shouted.

The Titans and the thugs charged at each other, shouting battle cries as loud as they could.

Predator pounced on Han and tackled him to the ground. He flipped off of his hands and kicked Aiden in the chest, pushing him backwards. Beast Boy morphed into a tiger and pounced onto John. Predator landed back on his feet and swiftly ducked an incoming punch by Carlos. Predator connected with an uppercut to the jaw, followed by a punch to the stomach. He roundhouse-kicked him in the ribs, pushing him into the crowd.

Predator turned and elbowed Stan in the abdomen before he could throw a punch. He gasped in pain until he was hit with a backhand. Predator sweep kicked him off his feet and kicked him in mid-air, sending him flying into two more members of the crowd.

Beast Boy—now in the form of a monkey—relentlessly bashed his fists into John's face. John attempted to cover his face, but to no avail. Beast Boy quickly turned and noticed Wes sneaking up from behind with a knife raised. He screeched loudly and pounced onto Wes's face, causing him to drop the knife and scream. Beast Boy began to bash at his skull, making him scream even louder and stagger around.

"MMMPHH! Get him off me, get him off me!" He muffled as he tried to push him off. Kyle ran, grabbed a wooden chair from one of the crowd members and rushed his way back to Wes.

"Shut up and stop moving!" Kyle ordered, raising the chair. Wes stood still while still struggling against the green monkey. Kyle took a swing but Beast Boy quickly jumped off him. The chair broke into pieces as it collided against Wes's head. His skull broke and some teeth flew out of his mouth as he collapsed on the floor, unconscious. Beast Boy landed on both feet and quickly avoided being grabbed by Penn. Beast Boy morphed into a donkey and mule kicked him in the back, sending him flying into the air and colliding into a nearby pillar. He then morphed himself into a gorilla and punched a charging Aiden towards the middle of the room.

Predator noticed Carlos charging at him with a broken beer bottle. He stepped to the side, as he took a swing and punched him in the jaw. Carlos winced as he twirled around and was suddenly kicked into the middle of the room.

Aiden and Carlos managed to catch themselves before they collided into each other until Predator and Beast Boy shoulder-tackled into them. Aiden and Carlos grunted loudly and collapsed onto the floor unconscious. Beast Boy—now back in his original form—and Predator stared at them, then at each other with satisfied smiles. Predator looked behind BB and saw Kyle running at him with a crowbar. Beast Boy looked behind Predator and noticed John charging towards him with another wooden chair.

"HEADS UP!" They shouted simultaneously.

Beast Boy morphed back into a monkey; he flipped over his head and kicked John away. Predator ducked underneath and landed a punch to Kyle's stomach, causing him to lean forward. He followed along with a powerful backwards headbutt to the chin, knocking him off his feet. Predator gripped his left leg and twisted it the other direction. Kyle shouted as his leg broke.

The two Titans stood back to back as two more members of the crowd—Bull and Terrance—joined the fight. Beast Boy immediately morphed into a large elephant and whacked them away with his trunk. The impact sent them flying over the crowd and through the glass windows. He turned and noticed Penn sneaking behind Predator with another chair raised.

"Watch out!" He yelled after morphing back into his original form.

Predator raised an eyebrow as John slammed the chair against his back. Surprisingly, the chair broke into pieces and Predator was not affected in any way. John stared at him in shock as he swiftly turned and growled at him.

Predator punched him in the ribs, then pulled his head down and kneed him in the skull. John staggered backwards towards the bar and Predator rushed over and forcefully slammed his head against the edge of the table. He fell flat on his back unconscious. As Stan rushed towards them, Predator grabbed a beer bottle and flipped it in his hand. In one swift swing, he bashed the glass bottle against the side of his head, sending him falling on the floor, defeated.

The group of thugs began to grow silent as they stared at the majority felled thugs; the only one left standing was Han, who stared at the two animals with sweat falling from his forehead. Beast Boy and Predator stood side by side with cocky smirks.

"You gonna make a move, meat sack..." Predator asked. "Or are you just gonna stand there, soiling yourself?"

Han looked down and his eyes went wide at the stain in his pants. He looked up at them, shouting his lungs out. He charged at them with his fist raised. Predator and Beast Boy swiftly stepped to the side, avoiding his punch. Predator connected a punch to his chest, making him gasp in pain. He continued with a reverse somersault kick, sending him flying into the air.

"Coming at ya!" Predator advised.

"I'll try not to make you look bad." Beast Boy smirked as he morphed into a kangaroo and hopped into the air. He flipped forward and his tail whacked Han face first into the floor. Predator and Beast Boy smirked down at him, and then redirected their attention to the group of now frightened criminals.

"Anyone else?" Predator asked, his eyes now glowing bright yellow while he clenched his fists. The crowd wasted no time and ran out the door—some out the window—screaming for their lives. However, one of the crowd members remained in the bar, shivering in fear.

"Boo." Predator said. The man screamed loudly and ran out the door.

"Sweet." Beast Boy commented. "This was a good time."

"It's not over yet." He replied, glaring back at Humbert, who was talking on his cell phone while his head sweat profusely. Predator looked at Beast Boy and nudged his head in his direction.

"I-I'm tellin' ya, boss. They're onto-" He gasped as he was interrupted by Predator, who grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him close. He snatched the phone from his hands and placed it in his ear. A man with an aggressive British accent spoke from the other line.

 _"Hello? Hello? What's going on in there? Where the bloody-"_

Predator narrowed his eyebrows and crushed the phone. That voice had seemed oddly familiar though, but he knew if he had said anything, then they'd be even more compromised. Predator grabbed Humber and tossed him over the counter, landing him right in front of Beast Boy.

Humbert grunted and turned over onto his back. Predator brought his foot down right next to his head.

"We're through playing around, Hugo. Now tell us where the trucks are!" Predator ordered.

"Hrgh, I've got nothing to say to you." Humbert grunted. "You're not getting anything out of me."

"There's only two possible ways this can end; both of them hurt." Predator raised his foot and brought it down on his Humbert's chest. "Now start talking!"

"I'd answer him if I were you, dude." Beast Boy said to Humbert. "He's had a rough couple of days."

"Al-alright, alright." Humbert resigned. "After the trucks are brought into the city, I deliver them to my boss. Each truck is worth thousands of dollars and my boss promised he'd split the profits once we're done."

"Where are the trucks being delivered? What happens to the weapons once they get there?"

"Most of my shipments are sent into the docks on Miagani Island. Once the boss has enough he plans on selling them all over Gotham for large sum. I swear that's all I know." Predator listened carefully to his heartbeat and it turns out, he's telling the truth.

"Who's your boss?" He growled.

"P... Penguin."

Beast Boy and Predator briefly looked at each other wide eyed. Pretty soon the sounds of police sirens and red and blue colored lights appeared from outside. "Ya may as well give up, freaks. You're never gonna stop Penguin. He's just too clever for youse."

"Shut up." Predator said, slamming his knee against Humbert's skull.

The door was forcefully kicked open and a group of GCPD officers came barging in, guns at the ready. To their dismay, there was nobody there. Just an unconscious bartender and a group of thugs. They walked over and stared down at him, rubbing their heads in confusion.

Predator and Beast Boy looked down at the scene from another nearby rooftop.

"Well, that went great." Beast Boy mumbled.

"So now we know that Penguin's using ice-cream trucks to smuggle weapons out of Jump City." Predator said. "And now he plans on selling them to criminals around Gotham. This is worse than I thought. Come on, we're headed to the docks."

"Um, not that I'm against it, but don't you think we should let Batman handle this?"

"Are you kidding? We're the only two people who not only know Penguin's plans, but also where he's located. Therefore that makes us the only ones who can stop him."

"But Batman can handle this one in no time flat. I mean, Penguin's his bad guy, anyway."

"I've dealt with members of Penguin's group before. They're not exactly as smart as you think. Look, this whole thing isn't about whose villain belongs to whom—this is about saving countless lives from being put in danger. This whole thing affects both Gotham and Jump City. So unless you've got any better ideas, you can either help me stop Cobble-fat or you can go home and wait for a bunch of guys to start spraying bullets in your city. What's it gonna be?"

"Okay, sheesh." Beast Boy gave in.

"I know this may seem pretty heavy, but I know you can do it. We're partners, remember?"

Beast Boy smiled, endeared by the sentiment.

"Come on, we might be able to reach the docks before more trucks show up." Predator said, taking a running start. Beast Boy wasted no time to follow.

"Don't you think we should call the others?" Beast Boy asked as they leaped onto another roof.

"No time. It'll take too long for them to get here. Besides, do you really wanna get yelled at for being out at five in the morning?"

"Good point."

* * *

 ** _Miagani Island, Gotham City_**

 ** _The Docks_**

 ** _5:39 AM_**

The two Titans pounced on the rooftop of a wooden building, the smell of the sea filling the air. The rooftop had a large glass window around it, and the inside was completely dark.

"Okay, we're here." Predator said quietly as they peeked through the glass. "This must be where he's keeping the trucks."

"So how do you wanna do this? Are we gonna barge in, claws and teeth at the ready?" Beast Boy smirked as he clawed at the air and sharpened his teeth.

"I don't see Penguin or any of his goons. We can't take any chances, though."

"So what are we gonna do?"

"We can sneak in through the window. Keep your eyes peeled, though; it could be a trap."

Beast Boy and Predator jumped down and entered through the side of the window, careful not to make any loud noises. Predator's eyes quickly adapted to the darkness as he took a look around. He didn't see any signs of life besides a few stray rats.

"See anything?" Beast Boy asked.

"No, nothing."

"Maybe we should-"

Beast Boy was interrupted when a bright light flashed on in the building, nearly blinding them. The Titans looked in multiple directions until out of nowhere; three large trucks came crashing backwards through the walls, covering the front and the sides. They stared at the trucks confused until their doors automatically slid open, revealing three large stereo-like machines inside of them.

The stereos suddenly turned on and a dastardly high pitched noise sounded out around them. The two Titans nearly screamed as an unbearable pain filled their ears.

"My ears!" Beast Boy screamed as he slowly fell to his knees.

Predator groaned loudly through his gritted teeth, his eyes shut tight and his hands pressed against his ears as hard as he could. He tried to fight through the pain as hard as he could but it only intensified and forced him to the ground.

A short, rather round individual stepped out of one of the trucks wearing a pair of earplugs. An evil grin spread on his cheeks as he approached the two vulnerable vigilantes. Predator managed to slightly open his eyes, his teeth clenched tightly and his vision completely blurry. He did however see the figure slowly approach him, but he couldn't get a good look at him. The next thing he knew there was an unbearable pain in his forehead and he slipped into unconsciousness.

Beast Boy's eyes squinted open, revealing a waterfall of tears falling from his eyes and a little saliva dripping down his teeth. The figure slowly approached him but there was nothing he could do. The pain in his hears prevented him from making any such movement.

"Nighty-night." The figure grinned as he raised his foot and kicked Beast Boy right in the skull, knocking him unconscious in an instant. The man let out a sinister laugh as he stared down at the now unconscious Titans.

To Be Continued

* * *

 ** _Hope you liked it. Now I know this conflict is similar to the content of Arkham Knight but that's basically the only thing I could think of. The next chapter should be up sometime soon. Until then, thank you and goodnight._**


	9. Chapter 9: Animals Night Out

_**Chapter 9: Animals Night Out**_

Predator groaned as he slowly awoke from his unconsciousness. The room was dark, but he could sense his surroundings. It was a warehouse… there was also a loading bay of four trucks on each side of the building. He tried to place his hand over his head but quickly realized he had no control over his arms… and also that he was upside down.

"Ugh, what the…?" He looked up—down for him—to see that an unconscious Beast Boy and himself were restrained by a rope while hanging upside down from some sort of crane. "What is this?"

He smelled the strong scent of sea water, and looked down—up for him—and noticed he was hanging over a giant tank filled with two wild bull sharks. Just by looking at them, he could tell they were hungry.

"Crap!" Predator exclaimed. "Beast Boy? Beast Boy, wake up."

Beast Boy yawned as he slowly began to wake up.

"Is it breakfast time, Mama?" He asked, dozily, before looking down to see the tank full of sharks. His eyes widened and he let out a high pitched scream. "Where are we?! What's with the sharks?"

"Well... finally awake now, are we?" Penguin's voice sounded in the darkness.

Predator and Beast boy turned towards the sound as the lights in the building shifted on. They could see a short, round man with a bald head and voice box lodged in his neck, and the bottom of a glass bottle protruding from his right eye like some sort of monocle. He wore a large, black fur coat, black khakis and black dress shoes. A smug grin rose on his face as he stared at the two helpless Titans.

Walking beside him was a tall, curvy brown haired woman with brown eyes and a pair of glasses. She was dressed in a tight long sleeved suit and a tight brown skirt. Penguin had his arm wrapped around her. And behind him were four more of his gang members carrying machine guns.

"Penguin." Predator growled.

"Ya know, I thought something strange was about after the phone went off." Penguin said. "Now what's all this I hear about you two blokes trying to interfere with my business?" He walked up the steps towards the Titans and leaned against his umbrella.

"You won't get away with this, Cobblepot. You're crazy if you think this plan is gonna go through."

"And so what if I'm crazy? What what are you gonna do about it, ya whinger?"

"Why don't you untie us and find out?"

"Hahahaha!" Penguin cackled. "You'd like that, wouldn't you? You mutt, I haven't lost my plot just yet. I'll just leave you two to hang around for a bit before my pets have their nosh."

"Uh, I'd actually rather _not_ be eaten by sharks." Beast Boy cried, staring down at the sharks. "That's cannibalism."

One of the sharks surfaced from the water, snapping towards their soon-to-be meal.

"Don't worry." Penguin chuckled. "My boys will make it quick and painless. Though they can be pretty messy."

"It's gonna be messy when I kick your-" Predator was interrupted as Penguin whacked him upside the head with his umbrella.

"You're a cocky little wanker." Penguin scowled.

Predator shook his head and ferociously growled at him.

"Won't be for long, though." Penguin chuckled as he turned his back to them. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have some business to take care of. Lily, dump 'em in. The rest of you lot watch the trucks till I get back."

"Yes, boss." Lily said, diligently.

The other thugs nodded and voiced their affirmation. Penguin moved down the steps and headed over to one of the trucks parked by the entrance. He jumped into one of the trucks and drove off. Lily redirected her attention to Predator and Beast Boy. A flirtatious smile rose on her cheeks as she looked into Predator's mask. He on the other hand, glared at her, somewhat uncomfortably.

"You know, cutie, it's a shame I have to feed you to the fish. Maybe I could 'do something' for you, first." She winked seductively.

Predator's right eye twitched in disbelief after he heard this. He shook his head as he struggled to keep a straight face.

"News flash, sweetheart, you're not my type." Predator said rather indifferently. "And I'm 16."

Lily pouted and smirked at him.

"Huh, that's too bad. It would have been good, too." She stepped down from the tank and walked over to the crane controls. She blew him a kiss and pulled the lever.

The rope started to descend towards the shark tank. Beast Boy began to scream as Predator fought against their binds.

"NO!" Beast Boy cried. "I'm too young and handsome to sleep with the fishes."

"Making jokes even in the face of death, huh?" Predator rolled his eyes.

A loud honk was heard and a large moving-truck, from out of nowhere; crashed backwards through the entrance. The entire room went into a shock. Lily turned and jumped, not realizing that she accidentally hit the lever and stopped the crane. The four thugs rushed to the center of the room, raising their guns towards the truck.

Eventually the front door opened and a man stepped out with a smug grin. Beast Boy and Predator immediately went wide eyed when they recognized him. He stood at 6'1" and had long, jet-black hair that hung down in his face and covered his left eye. He wore a black, double-breasted, wool duffle coat with a gray collared shirt underneath and a pair of black cargo pants and red canvas shoes. He was also holding a walking stick with a white skull topping.

"Oh, great." Predator groaned. "This guy."

"Jack?" Beast Boy gasped. "Wait, you know him?"

"Yeah. He's been running around like a ghost, stealing and killing, for the past year. I met him a year ago when he threw me into the bay. How do you know him?"

"Long story."

"Sorry, am I interrupting something?" Jack smirked. "Is there a private meeting going on here? I see that you're… fishing. You're not doing it right."

The thugs glared and scowled, keeping their guns fixed on Jack. One of them turned to Lily for affirmation.

"Don't just stand there—kill him!" She ordered. The thugs turned and opened fire on Jack.

Jack calmly raised his hand creating a cloud of dark energy in front of him. All of the bullets hit the cloud and were immediately stopped in place, seemingly trapped in the cloud. After a few seconds of rapid fire, the thugs found all of their clips empty. They stared in shock and fear at the sight of their weapons so effortlessly blocked. Jack waved his hand and immediately tore the guns away from them. A giant ephemeral dark hand appeared and grabbed the bundle of weapons, crushing them to pieces.

"He's one of them!" One of the thugs cried out in alarm. "He's a freak!"

"That's not very nice." Jack said as he walked over to the back of the truck and opened the back doors.

The sounds of heavy animalistic panting filled the room as a half-dozen German Shepherds, covered in armored vests, jumped out from the truck, and crowded around Jack. They growled and snarled ferociously as they turned their attention to Penguin's now-terrified thugs.

"Go get 'em." Jack chimed.

The dogs barked affirmatively and immediately charged at the thugs, who all screamed and tried to run. Their effort was pointless as the dogs quickly chased them down and pounced, knocking them all to the ground. The gang members screamed as the dogs savagely mauled them. The sounds vanished soon as the dogs quickly killed them off and ran back to Jack.

"There's a good bunch of dogs." Jack said, playfully as he knelt to bet all of them and began speaking in German. _"Gute Hunde, gute Hunde."_

Lily stood frozen in shock at the sight of all the dead mangled corpses and Jack crowded by the blood-covered dogs. Jack ignored her and turned his attention to the bound Titans.

"Hey there, Greenie." Jack said. "Long time, no see. Where are the rest of the Girl Scouts?"

Beast Boy frowned and glared at Jack while Predator growled, stressing the muscles in his arms as he struggled against the rope binding.

"I'll show you Girl Scouts, you little-" Predator roared until Jack cut him off.

"Hold that thought." Jack said as he began to approach Lily. He stood towering over her and staring her right in the eye. "You have something you want to say, whore?"

Predator noticed Lily reaching for the gun strapped to her thigh. She drew the pistol and pressed the barrel directly underneath Jack's neck. Jack didn't even flinch and stood completely still.

"Let me go." Lily's voice trembled with fear as she shakily held the gun in place.

"Or…?" Jack asked in an unnervingly calm tone.

"Or I'm gonna blow your head off."

"Of course you will." Jack said, swiftly swatting her hand away from his face.

Lily pulled the trigger in panic and fired a round from the gun before it flew out of her hand. Jack raised his other hand, grabbed Lily by the throat and lifted her high into the air. Lily let out a scream before Jack tightened his grip and began to throttle her. She choked and groaned as she grabbed and scratched at Jack's hand and kicked at him, trying to free herself. Jack ignored her efforts and kept a straight face as he strangled her. As Lily began to fade, her attacks became weaker and slower, and soon she stopped trying altogether. Jack smirked and snapped her neck. The two Titans stared in shock as he tossed her lifeless body to the floor.

You were babbling?" Jack turned back to the Titans.

"You crazy bastard!" Predator shouted. "You're gonna pay for this, you murdering little scumbag!"

"Aw, and I forgot to bring my checkbook with me." Jack teased Predator's sentiment.

"I'm gonna tear you apart when I get out of this, you freak!"

"Have we met before?" Jack asked, genuinely.

"Don't act like you don't remember trying to drown me in the Gotham bay."

"I've drowned a lot of people in the bay, kid. Of course, none of them were wearing tights." Jack rubbed his chin in thought before being hit by a pang of remembrance. "…Oh, yeah, it's _you_ , the animal. I expected you to be dead by this point… or at least back to the circus."

"You're not gonna be making the same cheap jokes for long." Predator growled.

"Things didn't work out that well for you last time. What makes you figure that this time will be any better?"

"Because this time isn't _last_ time."

"You're right. _This time_ , you're tied up with some green guy wearing tights. Not in a good way, either."

"Again with the cheap jokes."

"Is there even a good way of being tied up with another guy?"

"Don't ask." Predator said to him.

"Alright, alright, alright." Jack said, walking back over to the truck. "I think I've wasted enough time catching up with you two. I'll just leave you to _hang_ around."

"You mean you're just gonna leave us here?" Beast Boy asked as Jack began to load the dogs into the back of the truck. "You're not even gonna try to kill us?"

"Good point." Jack closed the back of the truck and walked over to the crane control console. He pulled the lever and the crane began to lower again.

Predator felt his blood boiling with anger as his eye twitched. Jack turned and walked back to the truck.

"Untie us you psychotic jerk!" Predator yelled, his eyes glowing bright yellow. Jack suddenly stopped and glanced back at him.

"You're not a very smooth talker." Jack said, raising his hand. Eight large, dark cubes appeared over the other trucks, and as Jack moved his hand down, they slammed down onto the trucks, completely pulverizing them. "Alright, alright, alright. Try to be delicious. Bye."

Jack climbed into the truck and closed the door. The truck started and Jack pulled out of the building through the same hole in the wall. Jack drove off away from the building, leaving the Titans as they slowly lowered towards the shark tank.

"Idiot!" Predator snapped at Beast Boy. "Why did you say anything?"

"I say a lot of things before I think about them." Beast Boy sighed, shamefully.

"We need to get out of here, fast."

"Done." Beast Boy smirked.

Predator raised an eyebrow as Beast Boy suddenly morphed into a snake and slithered out of the ropes. He quickly morphed into a hawk and flew off before he could fall into the shark tank. Predator's eye twitched again in disbelief as BB morphed back into his original form with a smile.

"Why didn't you do that sooner?" Predator snapped.

"And get my head blown off? No way, dude. Plus, there was no way we could take Jack down on our own."

"I hate that guy." Predator groaned as his eyes turned back to their normal color.

"You and me, both, dude." BB said, looking unsteadily at all the corpses. "You and me both."

"Ugh, fine. Just get me down from here."

"You got it."

Beast Boy moved to the crane controls and pulled one of the levers. The crane rotated to the side, away from the shark tank. Predator sharpened his claws and cut through the ropes, allowing himself to fall to the ground, free from the sharks. He landed on his feet and grunted before standing back up and stretching his tired limbs.

"We've got to move now." Predator said. "Jack will probably be going after Penguin, too, and we need to get to him first."

"Well?" Beast Boy asked, expectantly.

"Well, what?" Predator said, confused.

"I just saved your life. Where's my 'thank you'?"

"Ugh... thanks." Predator frowned. "Now, let's go."

* * *

 ** _Founders Island, Gotham City_**

 ** _6:57 AM_**

"What do you mean the trucks are all gone!?" Penguin shouted into his phone. He sat in the passenger's side of his truck as they traveled through the streets.

 _"I'm sorry, Mr. Cobblepot."_ The thug on the other line said, meekly. _"They're just gone, Sir. They're just smashed to pieces. And the hostages—they've escaped, too."_

"Escaped?!" Penguin's anger continued to rise. "Explain to me how in the name of God and the C of E, those two tossers escaped!"

 _"Err...I don't know, Sir."_

"You bloody idiot. They're gonna be on their way here. You get as many hands and as many guns as you need, and you keep them away from me."

 _"Yes, Sir, Mr. Cobblepot!"_

"Don't you cock this up now, 'less you wanna be redundant."

"Um, boss?" The driver called. "We've got company."

Penguin looked through the side mirror to see a giant, green pterodactyl Beast Boy with Predator atop his back, flying towards the truck. Predator glared fiercely at the truck and BB let out a loud battle squawk.

"Step on it!" Penguin exclaimed. The driver floored the pedal and the truck lurched forward, picking up speed. The tires squealed loudly as the driver pitched hard around a sharp turn. Beast Boy and Predator stayed hot on their tail, even as the truck began to widen the gap between them.

"I-I can't shake 'em, boss." The driver said, beginning to panic. "What are we gonna do?"

"There's always a plan B." Penguin said, sliding open a window to the back of the truck. "We've got company. Get rid of 'em."

The back doors of the truck swung open, revealing a large brute carrying a mini gun.

"Crap!" Predator spouted as his and BB's eyes widened.

He gritted his teeth as he aimed at the Titans and unloaded a chain of gunfire. Beast Boy swerved hard to the side as he tried to avoid the line of fire. Predator kept a tight grip on BB to keep from falling off.

"Try to hold still, I've got an idea." Predator shouted at him.

Beast Boy obeyed, allowing Predator to stand. He flipped forward and bounced off BB's beak, soaring towards the truck at an unbelievable speed. The brute's eyes widened as Predator threw his arms up and crashed into him, pushing them both into the back of the trunk.

Penguin felt the back of truck shake uncontrollably as the sounds of loud thuds and punches could be heard until they eventually went quiet.

"What's going on back there?" Penguin shouted.

There was no answer. The sounds of footsteps could be heard from the top of the truck, and Predator suddenly dropped onto the hood. Penguin and the driver shouted in surprise.

"How's it goin', Cobble-fat?" Predator grinned.

Penguin clenched his teeth and pointed his umbrella at him. Predator quickly punched the glass and shattered it, and then jumped into the truck's cabin. Penguin dropped his umbrella as Predator unleashed a series of punches to his face. Penguin retaliated with a few punches of his own while the driver did his absolute best to keep the truck steady.

"Ungh... get off'a me, you-hrgh!" Penguin was interrupted by another punch to his face.

The driver dug into his pocket as the two brawled right next to him. He pulled a pistol from his pocket and pointed it at Predator. However, their struggling made it difficult for him to aim. He quickly turned his attention back to the road as they approached a sharp turn. At that moment, Penguin kicked Predator in the stomach, inadvertently pushing him into the steering wheel. The driver pitched the wheel hard to the right, and the force of the turn caused Predator to fall over onto him. The driver panicked and slammed his foot hard onto the pedal.

"You bloody idiots!" Penguin shouted. "You're gonna get us all killed!"

Predator finally found his leverage to stand back up and the driver tried to regain control over the vehicle as it spun out.

"We're out of control!" The driver panicked.

"That's what happens when you crank the wheel hard like that, you-" Predator was suddenly cut off as the truck hit a high curb and flipped over.

Penguin, Predator and the driver all screamed in terror as the vehicle lifted off the ground and soared through the air for tens of feet, and then slammed back into the ground, skidding along for a few hundred meters and eventually coming to a stop.

Predator groaned as he kicked the passenger door off its hinges and dragged Penguin out of the truck. He climbed out and dropped Penguin onto the ground next to the vehicle before falling down

Beast Boy landed on the ground—morphing back to normal—and quickly rushed over to him.

"Predator!" He yelled as he knelt down next to him.

Predator groaned as he picked himself up. Beast Boy reached down and lifted him up by his arm.

"Are you alright, dude?"

"Ungh... I'm fine." Predator said. "Where's Cobblepot?"

"There!" Beast Boy pointed ahead and they saw Penguin limping as he struggled to get away.

"Come on." Predator said as they gave chase.

The chase only lasted a few minutes. As Penguin turned past a corner, the two Titans followed, only to see that Penguin had come to a stop.

"Don't move!" He ordered, his back turned against them. The two Titans slid as they came to a stop.

"It's over, Cobblepot." Predator said. "There's nowhere else to go."

"Oh no, lad. This is far from over." Penguin turned around with his arm wrapped around a woman—forced to kneel down because of his stature—and a gun pointed at the side of her head. The woman cried out in fear as he pushed the gun against her.

"P-please, let me go." She begged.

"Shut up, you little minger." Penguin said.

"A hostage? Dude, that is low!" Beast Boy said.

"Not as low as blowing her brains out if you try to stop me!"

Predator slowly took a step forward. Penguin turned the gun on Predator and shot at the ground near his foot, causing him to freeze in place.

"I'm not playing games here, son." Penguin warned, turning the gun back to the girl. "The next one will be in her head."

"You're wasting your time, Cobblepot." Predator said. "The cops are gonna be here any second, and you've got nowhere to run. You're finished."

"Just because you've stopped a few of my trucks and got me backed against the wall doesn't mean you've got me finished, you louse. Now listen carefully: you two are gonna stay right where you are and leave me be. If you take so much a single step towards me, I'm gonna paint the sidewalk with the inside of her head."

Beast Boy raised an eyebrow when he noticed a familiar shadow pass by. He looked up in confusion and noticed a dark figure standing on a rooftop. Predator noticed Beast Boy's fixation and followed his gaze, taking sight of the figure, as well.

"Did you freaks not hear me? I said I'm gonna-" Penguin suddenly felt something strike against the back of his head, forcing him to remove his grip from the woman. The woman wasted no time to run for her life. "What the bloody-"

He looked down and noticed a bat shaped projectile sticking out of the ground his eyes widened once he realized what it was. He looked back and noticed the same figure glaring at him. The figure jumped from the roof and landed right in front of him. He was a tall individual with long, pointy ears and a long, black cape. Next was a muscular body-armored suit with a bat logo and a utility belt hanging from his waist. Penguin tripped backwards as sweat fell from his forehead.

"Dude, no way, it's..." Beast Boy gasped.

"Batman." Predator finished.

"Oh, bugger, I'm done." Penguin cried, throwing his hands up in surrender. "Just take me to jail."

Batman reached down and grabbed Penguin by the collar, lifting him up, and delivered a powerful elbow to his jaw, instantly knocking him out.

"Dude… can I have your autograph?" Beast Boy asked, pulling out a pen and a notepad.

Batman glared indifferently at the Titan as Predator groaned and shook his head.

* * *

 _Later_

Penguin was thrown into a police van with the rest of his gang members while the SWAT Team confiscated all the weapons from the truck. Beast Boy and Predator watched as they stood next to Batman with their arms crossed.

"My first mission in Gotham and I've already met Batman and helped capture one of the top bad guys." Beast Boy beamed ecstatically.

"Jack's still out there, somewhere." Predator said. "He's like a ghost, though. He's not just gonna expose himself again to take out Penguin. Now, he's gonna go back underground."

"Come on, dude, don't be such a downer. Tonight was a blast! We should do it more often."

"Don't push it." Predator groaned.

"You two should never have gotten involved." Batman said, sternly. "This was far too dangerous for either of you to handle."

"We had it under control." Predator answered, narrowing his eyebrows. "We got the job done, didn't we?"

"Your presence is required back in Jump City. Penguin was none of your concern."

"In case you didn't know, he was stealing weapons from _our_ territory. That makes it _our_ problem, too."

"Your job is to protect the citizens of Jump City. Gotham is beyond any of your concern."

"You forget this used to be _my_ city." Predator argued.

"Uh, Predator, I don't think this is a good idea." Beast Boy interjected.

"You don't get it, Beast Boy." Predator said. "When I first put on the mask, I made a promise to protect all of those who truly needed it. I know I moved out of Gotham but that doesn't mean I don't have my concerns about it. This used to be my city. I know what goes on around here. Although this situation had more to do with Gotham, that doesn't mean we were in the wrong for doing what we did. Penguin stole from us, and like any other thief, we are sworn to stop them. No matter the distance or the city."

Predator turned to Batman with a stern frown.

"I have no regrets for going after Penguin. We did what had to be done. Why don't you loosen that cowl of yours so you can see it for yourself?"

Batman's frown grew as he glared warningly at Predator.

"Dude, are you nuts!?" Beast Boy spouted. "You're talking to Batman, dude, you can't just-"

"Fine." Batman said, receiving a shocked expression from both of them.

"Wha?" Beast Boy gasped.

"Penguin was the target, and the important thing is that we apprehended him. You both did well, so I won't harp on you for your involvement, but I expect you both to get back to Jump City right away."

Batman pushed a button on his gauntlet, and called for the Batmobile, which roared to life in the distance and arrived in seconds. Beast Boy and Predator stared in awe at the monster of a vehicle.

"You'd better get going now." Batman said. "It's a long walk home, and the sun will be up any minute now."

The car's compartment slid open as Batman jumped into the seat. The compartment closed again and Batman sped off from the scene.

"He could've given us a ride." Beast Boy sulked. "Aw, I didn't get his autograph."

Predator began to walk away, and Beast Boy promptly followed him.

"It's not like he was gonna do either of those things, anyway." Predator said. "He's Batman, remember?"

"You spoke to him like you guys knew each other. Do you guys have a history?"

"Let's not talk about that right now."

"Okay."

"Nice work, though, kid." Predator commented. "We make a pretty good team."

Beast Boy smiled, encouraged.

"Maybe you're not as big of a 'screw up' as everyone says you are."

Beast Boy's smile immediately dropped and he froze in place.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He snapped. "I'm not a screw up! Who says I'm a screw up?"

Predator smirked as he continued to walk.

"Dude, come on! Dude?"

* * *

 _ **7:49 AM**_

The two Titans crossed the Gotham border and found themselves strolling through the highway. The sun was halfway up now, and the tune of birds chirping rang through the autumn air.

"Dude... I don't think I can take anymore." Beast Boy panted as sweat fell from his forehead. "...How much further until we get back to the tower?"

"About another forty-five minutes, fifty at the most." Predator said. "Can't you just fly us back?"

"I'm tired of flying. I've been doing it all night!"

"Well, stop complaining. You're the one who followed me."

"Hey, if it weren't for me, you'd be shark bait right now! Or target practice for those thugs."

"I could've handled all of that by myself."

"You were just saying how great of a team we are, earlier!"

"Sure I'm grateful, but that doesn't change the fact that I still could have handled things alone."

"I think you're just saying that to sound cool. I mean, come on, dude, really? I mean, are you even tired right now?"

"You'd be surprised what I'm capable of."

Predator turned around as he heard a loud thud and a groan. He saw Beast Boy lying face-first on the cement. Predator knelt down to try to wake him up.

"Beast Boy? Beast Boy." Predator called, to no avail. "Beast Boy! …Oh, you've gotta be kidding."

Predator sighed as he started to pick him up.

* * *

 ** _8:07 AM_**

Predator kept walking while carrying Beast Boy—sleeping soundly—on his back. Although it was no big deal carrying him, it was still kind of annoying he had to do it at all. Predator yawned as he felt his eyes getting heavy. He shook his head to try to stay awake. He suddenly noticed a familiar blue and white car heading their way.

"Wonder who that could be." Predator groaned.

The car came to a heavy stop and out came Cyborg, Raven and Starfire—the looks on all their faces anything but happy. He raised an eyebrow when he noticed Robin wasn't with them but then shrugged it off.

"Finally we have found you!" Starfire called. "We were most worried."

"You're lucky we were able to track you by your coms." Cyborg said. "What are you two doing all the way out here?"

Their anger shifted into confusion when they noticed Beast Boy.

"Why is he sleeping on your back?"

Beast Boy snorted loudly and began to drool.

"You look like you were in a car accident." Raven said.

 _"Funny."_ Predator mumbled to himself, noting the irony.

"Care to explain yourself?" Cyborg asked. "We'd like to be enlightened as to why you left in the middle of the night and why we found you halfway to Gotham City."

"Not now." Predator walked past the others and opened the back door, shoving Beast Boy inside and then himself climbing in.

The others sighed and climbed into the car. Raven sat in the back with Predator and Beast Boy while Starfire got into the passenger seat.

"What were you two thinking sneaking out like that?" Cyborg said. "I know you're new to this whole teamwork thing, man, but you-"

"They're asleep." Raven interrupted him.

Cyborg looked in the rearview mirror to see Raven sitting next to the two sleeping Titans. Predator slept peacefully against the backseat—unaware that Beast Boy's head was rested on his shoulder.

"Oh, they look so adorable." Starfire said out of adoration. "They look as if they are brothers."

"Take a picture and post it online." Raven said. "Let's see how much mileage it gets."

The Titans chuckled as they drove towards the morning sun.

 **To Be Continued**

* * *

 ** _Author's Note: the character 'Jack von Nacht' belongs to BlackWidowofLaPorte and is used with his permission. Check out his account and stories for more on the character._**


	10. Chapter 10

_**Chapter** **10**_

 _10 Days Later_

Predator landed on a rooftop, taking view of the city before him. The lights shined bright and the nighttime wind carried the scent of the city through the air. Everything was so peaceful and quiet. Predator rubbed his nose and sniffed, feeling a bit of a bite from the cold. He shrugged it off, and turned up the volume on his communicator. The music rang louder over the distant city sounds.

 _"So don't let me down again,_

 _Praise me, free me._

 _Don't let me down again,_

 _Hear my disaster._

 _Don't let me down again,_

 _Blame me, bleed me-"_

His music was interrupted when his Communicator started beeping rapidly. Letting out a sigh, he opened it and pressed the button, allowing the Titans to appear on screen.

"What?" Predator said, bluntly.

 _"Well hello to you, too, Stripes."_ Cyborg said sarcastically.

"Funny. What do you want?"

 _"Just wanted to check and see how're you enjoying the new radio system I added to the T-Coms? Figured you could use it to occupy yourself."_

"Well I _was_ listening to a pretty good song, but then you interrupted it…but it's not bad."

 _"How's your patrol going?"_ Robin asked.

* * *

 _Titans Tower_

Cyborg, Beast Boy and Robin looked at the screen while Raven sat on the couch reading her book. Starfire sat next to her, feeding Silkie his bottle of pink liquid zorchaberries.

 _"It's pretty quiet." Predator answered. "Nothing out of the ordinary."_

"You sure you can handle night patrol on your own?" Robin asked. "You haven't been getting a lot of sleep lately."

 _"I'm fine."_

"You sure? One of us can come help you out if you want."

"Ooh, ooh! I'll go!" Beast Boy exclaimed. "I'm always up for Wild Boys 2."

 _"No way, kid. Last thing I need is to be put on the Internet again. Look, guys, I'm fine. I can handle things myself. I don't need sleep and I don't need help."_

"Man, you're starting to sound like Robin." Cyborg said, receiving a scowl from Robin.

"Don't you think he kind of looks like-"

 _"You better not bring that up again!"_ Predator growled, pushing through the huge screen and pointing a finger at Beast Boy. _"I mean it!"_

"Dude, is there anything else you worry about other than vigilantism?" BB sighed.

 _"What do you mean?"_ Predator said, shrinking back into the communicator.

"You hardly do anything except go on night patrols, and you barely come out of your room anymore."

"I hate to say it, but BB's right, man." Cyborg said. "You've been a little inconspicuous lately. Is something on your mind?"

 _"No, I'm fine."_ Predator said. _"Just...I'm not much of a social guy, you know?"_

"Who does that remind you of?" Beast Boy glanced back at Raven. "So literally all you do is fight crime. I mean, you barely hang out with us, you don't sleep much; not to mention you have a pretty picky interest in girls."

Raven and Starfire looked up at them.

 _"What does that mean?"_ Predator frowned.

"Remember yesterday…?"

* * *

 ** _The Mall of Shopping_**

 ** _Yesterday, 3:56 PM_**

The six Titans were hanging out at the mall doing a series of different things.

Robin was in the makeup department with Starfire, carrying an unbelievable load of pink plastic bags for her—his legs trembled from the weight. She browsed over the numerous bunches of makeup until she noticed a brand of eyeliner that matched her hair. She smiled and threw it into one of the bags, causing Robin to lose balance and drop them on the floor.

Raven was sitting on a bench reading one of her recently purchased books from the library.

Finally, Beast Boy, Cyborg and Predator were in the arcade. Cyborg watched as Predator and BB duked it out in their favorite fighting game 'Robot Mayhem 2'. Beast Boy clenched his teeth as he struggled, trying to get the upper hand against Predator's character.

"Come on, come on." Beast Boy grunted as sweat fell from his forehead.

Predator blankly stared at the game as he effortlessly threw BB's character around until:

 _" **POW!** Player 2 Wins."_ The game announced.

"NO!" Beast Boy cried as he banged his head against the controls.

"How many times was that?" Predator smirked, asking Cyborg.

"Five." Cyborg answered. "And you've never even played this one."

"Five it is, then."

"Best 6 out of 10!" Beast Boy pointed. "There's no way you haven't played this game, dude. You must be cheating."

"How do you cheat in an arcade game?"

"You can't." Cyborg said. "Don't worry about it, man, he's just got a bruised ego."

"I so do NOT!" Beast Boy defended himself

"No, man, you really do suck."

"I DO NOT!"

Predator grabbed his plastic beverage and took a sip of it before stepping away.

"Well, I'm gonna let you two work this out." Predator said, stepping out of the arcade.

"There's only one way to settle this." Cyborg glared at BB.

Beast Boy flared his nostrils as they both turned to the game

Predator leaned against the wall and took another sip of his beverage. Unbeknownst to him, two teenage girls were staring at him from inside the arcade. One was a brunette haired girl wearing a gray t-shirt and blue pants. We'll call her Mary. The other was a black ponytailed girl wearing a red sweater and skinny jeans. We'll call her Amy. The girls redirected their attention to each other and chuckled—a dark red blush on both of their cheeks. They suddenly began to approach Predator.

Predator raised an eyebrow once he noticed them—a question mark appeared above his head.

"Hi." Mary greeted him, flirtatiously.

"Uh, hey." Predator said, bemused.

"You're kinda cute."

"Thanks." Predator rolled his eyes internally.

"You're... one of the Teen Titans, aren't you?" Amy asked. "Carnivore, right?"

"It's Predator, actually. And yeah."

"Cool." She sighed.

Beast Boy suddenly looked up and noticed the girls talking to him.

"What!?" He exclaimed, his mouth agape.

"What, finally starting to realize you're a sore loser?" Cyborg asked, keeping his eye on the game.

Beast Boy frowned, grabbing Cyborg's jaw and turned his head in his direction. Cyborg quickly became attached to Predator and the girls. Cyborg and Beast Boy left the game and slid outside, a few feet away from Predator. Raven looked up from her book and noticed them. She furrowed her brow and immediately turned right back at her book.

"Huh, I didn't know he had it in him." Cyborg said, impressed.

"I did!" Beast Boy sulked. "Why do all the girls always go for him? What does he have that I don't?"

"He doesn't have green skin, for one…" Cyborg said.

"Shut up." Beast Boy scowled.

"Hey, you asked."

"I thought it was so cool the way you took down that monster guy." Amy said to Predator.

"Yeah, and on the news when you took down that truck in Gotham City?" Mary added. "That was so hot."

"Hey! I was there too, you know!" Beast Boy yelled. The girls ignored him completely.

"Yeah, if you say so." Predator said blankly. "It really wasn't that big of a deal. I was just trying to keep the city safe."

"Well we definitely feel safe with you around." Mary said, leaning towards him. "Actually we thought we should… you know, reward you. How about we take you to a movie, tonight?"

Predator glanced at Cyborg and Beast Boy. Cyborg winked at him while Beast Boy kept a jealous glare, a small rain cloud rising above his head. He redirected his attention to the girls, who gave him flirtatious smiles—their eyes now in the shapes of hearts.

"No thanks." Predator answered bluntly, without any hesitation.

Their smiles immediately dropped as he took another sip of his drink and walked away. Both Cyborg and Beast Boy shot him looks of disbelief—their mouths agape.

"What?" Predator said, in response to their looks.

* * *

 _ **Present Day**_

(Predator's POV)

 _"And then you tried to chase after the girls, slipped on a wet floor, and fell flat on your face."_ Cyborg finished the story.

 _"I thought we could leave THAT part out."_ Beast Boy growled.

"And then the girls laughed at you." Predator said. "That was the best part."

 _"Shut up."_

"Will you just let this go?" Predator insinuated. "They weren't my type, alright? Why is it such a big deal?"

 _"Are you kidding me?"_ Beast Boy shouted hysterically. _"Those were two of the hottest girls ever! How could they not be your type? If they weren't your type, then who is?"_

"None of your business." Predator groaned, rubbing his forehead.

 _"Will you stop screaming already?"_ Raven said sternly, to Beast Boy. _"This argument is pointless, and I'm tired of hearing it."_

"Thanks, Raven."

 _"Oh, yeah?"_ Beast Boy retorted. _"I saw the way you smirked when those girls left. I'm starting to get the feeling that-OW!"_

"Did you hit him?" Predator asked.

 _"Yeah, she did."_ Cyborg answered.

"Thanks, again, Raven." Predator said. "Look, guys, I have my tastes, but I'm not sharing my… 'love life' with any of you."

Predator suddenly caught the scent of aerosol paint cutting through the air.

"I gotta go." Predator said, abruptly signing off on the communicator.

He jumped onto the next rooftop and crawled about on all fours. Looking down, he noticed a figure wearing a black hoodie, blue jeans and white tennis shoes; they were spray-painting on the wall of the building. The image was of a donkey and an elephant—both colored in red, white, and blue—driving small cars that had crashed into each other. Predator glared at the individual as they finished up on the graffiti.

"Didn't your parents ever teach you not to draw on the walls?" Predator called out to them.

The figure turned around in surprise, and Predator jumped down from the roof and landed on a lamppost. He couldn't see the figure's face, as they were wearing a black balaclava and a pair of goggles.

"Nice skill." Predator commented. "It sends a good message... that animals shouldn't be allowed to drive cars."

As he jumped off the pole and onto the ground, the figure began to step back, cautiously.

"Don't." Predator warned. "You're just gonna make it harder on yourself, da Vinchi."

The figure quickly turned away from him and took off running. Predator smirked and stretched his legs out, and his eyes shifted to a bright yellow.

"I love it when they play hard-to-get." He grinned as he swiftly jumped onto the wall and scaled it.

As the Figure turned around the corner of the building and ran all the way around the back, it began to rain. The Figure turned around the corner to the other side of the building, only to run straight into Predator. The figure let out a high-pitched gasp and jumped backwards in alarm.

"I love the thrill of the hunt…" Predator smirked. "But what do you say we go ahead and cut this short? By the way, you're a girl, aren't you?"

The Girl tutted and turned around, running off again. Predator sighed and took off after her, taking the rooftop way. The Girl made a series of turns—running as fast as he could—ignoring the slippery ground below. She turned down a dark alley, only to find herself running straight into Predator again.

"I might let you go with a warning." Predator said. "Your 'art' isn't going to stick around, anyway."

The Girl took off in the opposite direction and ran off again.

"Maybe not." Predator sighed and jumped up again.

The Girl slid, almost tripping as she turned and ran into another alley, only to find a dead end.

"End of the road." Predator said. "Last chance before I stop being nice. And I'd rather not hit a girl."

The Girl smirked underneath and ran towards the wall to her right. She jumped onto it and scrambled up to a ledge, and then swiftly turned and jumped to a ledge on the other wall across. Predator's eyes widened as he watched her scramble all the way up and onto the roof.

"Not bad." Predator gritted his teeth and jumped up onto the wall.

The Girl breathed heavily as he ran across the rooftop. Predator scurried onto the roof and charged at her, full-speed. He tackled her and knocked her onto the ground.

"No more games." Predator growled as he stood back up. "It's cold and it's wet, and I'm tired of this chase. If you try running again, I'm taking you down."

The Girl swiftly flicked her legs and tripped Predator, knocking him over backwards. He was caught off-guard by the attack, and landed right on his back. The Girl popped back up to her feet and gracefully flipped backwards, distancing herself from Predator. She stopped several meters away from him, and took on a battle-ready stance.

"So, it's like that, huh…" Predator jumped back up, his eyes morphing into those of a lion's. "Let's go, then."

The Girl charged at Predator with her fist raised. Predator swiftly moved out of the way to avoid it. He grabbed her by the arm and moved around her. Without turning around, she kicked at him. Predator caught her leg and tossed her up into the air. He swiftly drove his foot into her back and kicked her away.

The Girl groaned as she slowly stood back up, rubbing the injury on her back. She glared at Predator and charged towards him again, letting loose with a series of punches. Predator's speed prevailed and he swiftly avoided all of the strikes. He kicked her in the shin, breaking her balance. She staggered backwards in an effort to keep herself from falling over. Predator swung his leg around and tripped her, causing her to fall flat onto the ground. He pounced and tackled her, overwhelming her with his superior strength and pinning her to the ground. Even so, the Girl continued to struggle against him. Predator growled and punched the ground next to her face, leaving a large hole in it. The Girl's eyes widened as her whole body tensed up from the shock, and she finally stopped resisting.

"Enough is enough." Predator growled, grabbing the top of her mask. "Who the heck are you, and what is your deal?"

Predator pulled the mask off the Girl to reveal her face. She had thick black hair that hung down her face and completely covered her right eye. She had grayish-purple eyes, seemingly colored by contacts, and black eyeliner circling her face, and a black Marilyn Manson double cross around her neck. Predator found himself stunned by her appearance, even though her expression vented nothing but anger and contempt towards him.

"Get off me, you freak!" She shouted at him.

"I..." Predator mumbled, lost for words.

The Girl took advantage of Predator's fixation, and reached into the pocket of her hoodie. She took out a can of pepper spray and held it directly in front of his face. Predator's eyes widened as he realized too late, and the Girl sprayed it in his face.

Predator shouted loudly as he fell backwards off of her. The chemicals shot searing pain though his face as it burned his eyes, nose and throat. He instantly shut his eyes tight and brought his hands up in an attempt to wipe his eyes clean. His efforts only spread it across his skin and made it burn. His body instinctively began to produce tears… though it felt almost as if his eyes were boiling.

Predator forced his eyes back open in an attempt to allow the rain water to soak them and provide a rinse. He caught sight of the Girl as she ran away from him, skillfully jumping from the rooftop and onto another, and eventually disappearing from view. Predator ignored her, and desperately attempted to soak his eyes in the rain. It seemed to provide little help to him, as the chemical didn't seem to wash away at all.

Predator had never been maced before, and did not know that capsaicin, an irritant found in pepper spray, was not water soluble, and would take a considerable amount of time before the effects subsided enough for him to recover from the blindness.

* * *

 ** _A Considerable Amount of Time Later…_**

 _Titans Tower_

Predator stepped out of the elevator into the living room; his uniform completely soaked, his face still covered orange and his eyes bloodshot. He attempted to bury the humiliation and defeat, only to no help. The look on his face made him appear completely unapproachable, as he was practically fuming with anger and annoyance. The other Titans looked straight at him as they heard him enter the room.

"There you are." Robin said.

"Jeez, what happened to you?" Cyborg said, noticing his eyes and face.

"You look terrible, dude." Beast Boy added. "You look like you got pepper-sprayed."

"Pepper spray?" Starfire asked. "That sounds most delicious."

"It's not what it sounds like, Star." Robin said.

"Look, guys…" Predator said, plainly, trying not to project his anger onto them. "I just wanna go to bed."

"Now?" Cyborg asked. "Don't you wanna eat something?"

"I'm not hungry. I just wanna go to sleep."

"You should at least stop by the medical bay." Robin insisted. "We have solutions that can help you wash the pepper spray from your face."

"I'm fine." He said, turning to leave the room. "Just leave me alone."

Predator made his way down the hall towards to his room and entered, heading straight to the bathroom. He sighed, looking into the mirror, glaring hard at the orange marks around his eyes. He took off his mask and set it on the counter. He picked up a rag and wet it under the sink, and began to scrub at the orange marks.

Predator finished with the business and left the bathroom, walked to his bed and fell flat on his stomach. He thought about the Girl… and found himself confused that he had mixed feelings regarding their encounter. He came to the conclusion that he would have to see her again, and planned on doing so the next night.

* * *

 **To Be Continued**

 _ **Author's Note: The name of the song is 'My Disaster' by Seether. Hope you enjoyed it. Thank you and goodnight.**_


	11. Chapter 11: Dark Love

**_Chapter 11: Dark Love_**

Predator rested his head on his fist as he stared out the window, at the gray clouds filling the sky. He was sitting at the table eating breakfast with his friends, but since last night he had been feeling...off.

"Are you okay?" Robin asked him.

Predator shook his head and looked at Robin and the others, who looked back at him with concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He replied. "Why?"

"You've barely touched your food." Robin said. "Is something bothering you?"

"Nah, I'm fine. Just uh... dozed off for a minute there."

"How are your eyes feeling?" Starfire asked.

"Eh, better I guess."

"I gotta say, dude, it's hard to believe you got pepper sprayed." Beast Boy smirked.

"I got caught off-guard, is all." Predator frowned at the memory.

"It didn't seem like that, yesterday." Raven said.

"Are you sure you're not just losing your touch?" Beast Boy teased.

"Believe me, I'm a lot tougher than some pepper-spray punk." Predator retorted. "You can stop worrying about me."

"Maybe we should start calling you Macy from now on." Beast Boy laughed.

"Whatever you say, Mr. Potatohead."

"Wha?"

Predator chopped BB's plate and it flipped right into his face. It slid down, leaving his face covered in potatoes. The Titans couldn't help but chuckle.

"Aw man, that's a good one." Beast Boy said, defeated.

* * *

The day went by and soon Predator went out for his evening patrol of the city. He was determined to find The Girl from last night. Something about her made him feel a mixture of emotions. One of them, however, was an emotion he had never felt before. It made him feel even more off-edge… and he didn't like it.

He glared down at the city from above the rooftops—scanning the streets for some sort of sign of her. His search proved fruitless. There wasn't even a sign of her 'artwork.' The only graffiti he could find were chalk drawings that little kids made on the sidewalks.

Almost an entire hour went by and Predator still couldn't find her. He had practically searched all over the city. After last night, she probably decided to go into hiding. It was likely that he wouldn't be seeing her for a long time.

The smell of methane filled the air, catching Predator's attention. He turned towards the source and spotted an enormous cloud of black smoke pluming into the sky.

Predator eventually arrived at the scene of a burning building. A group of people surrounded the area as the fire department attempted to put out the flames.

"Please, my baby is in there!" A woman screamed as she pushed against the firefighter who held her back.

"I'm sorry but we can't let you in there, ma'am." He said, firmly.

"Look, it's one of the Teen Titans." A bystander pointed as Predator landed on the ground.

"Which floor?" Predator asked.

"Sixth floor, third door on the right. Please you have to save my baby!" She cried.

"Give me your scarf." Predator said.

The woman gave him her blue scarf and handed it over to Predator, and he quickly wrapped it around his face. He hopped on a light post and then jumped all the way to the sixth floor window

* * *

A few minutes went by and Predator had not returned. The flames began to increase and the building itself looked like it was close to collapse. At that point, the woman started to cry and the crowd grew even more concerned. A sudden explosion escaped the building, causing everyone to jump and scream. Predator suddenly flipped out of the building, his arm wrapped tight around a small blue object.

He landed on the ground feet first, his body partially burned and his vision a little blurry. He let out a few coughs and uncovered the blue blanket, revealing a crying baby boy. His vision cleared and he gave him a small smile. The audience cheered ecstatically for him.

"Hey, little guy." Predator panted. "It's okay... you're safe now."

"My baby!" The woman yelled and ran up to him. As he handed the baby to her, she immediately held it in a tight embrace. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

"You got guts, kid." The Chief admired, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We're glad you're one of the good ones."

"Thanks." He said, falling on one knee.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Fire and I don't go well together." Predator coughed. "Anyway, I better get going. You guys stay safe."

With that, Predator stood up and pounced onto a wall, climbing up to the roof. Once he got there, he was met by the hooded figure gazing at him. Predator let out a surprised shout and he quickly shifted into a battle position.

"I just jumped out of a burning building, pal, don't test me!"

His eyes widened even more when the figure pulled her hood down, revealing The Girl from the other night. She gave him a blank stare. Her long, shoulder length hair blew against the wind.

"I..." Predator trailed off, unable to find his words.

"I… saw what you did." She commented. "It was really brave and selfless."

Predator shook his head and stood up straight.

"Um, thanks. It-it was nothing really." He said, scratching his hair. He could feel his face burning red under all the black soot. "I mean, I'm just doing my part in keeping the city safe."

"Mm-hm. You look like you're burned up pretty badly. Are you gonna be okay?"

"It's cool. My healing factor will take care of it." He groaned when he suddenly felt his stomach churn.

"Are you okay?"

"I didn't really eat much today." Predator said, grasping his lower chest.

"Hm... come on." She said. "I'll pay for it."

"What now?" He asked, confused.

"Let's go eat. You said you were hungry, right?"

"Yeah but-"

"Just come on, then." She insisted. She started to walk away and Predator hastily followed her.

* * *

 _A Little While Later_

Predator and The Girl sat on another rooftop. Predator munched modestly on his bacon cheeseburger while keeping an effort to not let his animal instincts get the best of him. He glanced at The Girl, who quickly looked away from him.

"Uhh... want a bite?" Predator offered.

"No, thanks." She said. "I'm a vegetarian."

"Okay." Predator said. "So uh... anyway, my name's-"

"I know who you are, Stripes." She interrupted. "You're one of those masked psychos."

"Psycho is a little harsh."

"That's not what the guys in the streets are saying."

"Don't take everything they say so literal. Like I was saying, my name is Predator."

"Mm-hm. Is that your real name?" She asked, skeptically.

"Uh, no. What good is a mask if I go throwing my real name around? How 'bout you, what's your name?"

"Why should I tell you mine, when you won't tell me yours?" She glared at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Uh, nevermind then. So, why did you wanna feed me?"

"Excuse me?"

"I mean, after yesterday went, the last thing I expected today was for you to buy me food, and… be nice in general."

"I-I... th-that's just how I am, okay?" She stuttered, becoming flustered.

"Whatever you say, sweetheart." Predator chuckled, taking another bite of his burger.

"Don't call me that!" She yelled, a red vein pumping on the side of her head. "I'm not anyone's sweetheart!"

"Take it easy, I'm just teasing. But… thanks. This was really nice of you to do."

"Don't mention it..." She said, looking back in the other direction.

"You've got some moves, too. You almost had me a few times yesterday."

"Do you expect every young girl to be helplessly incapable of defending herself?"

"No, but you sure do set a high expectation for all the other girls. How did you get so good?"

"I took Martial Arts when I was younger."

"Me too." He said a little surprised. "You're pretty talented with a spray can, too. Did you take art class when you were younger, too."

"I know a thing or two."

"I noticed that you don't seem very fond of politics, either."

"How could I not be, when it's nothing but corruption and stupidity?"

"How is that?"

"Politicians don't care about anything but themselves. They only say they'll 'do' things just to gain the public's attention and approval. And when they're elected, they don't 'do' anything at all—they're only in it for the wealth and popularity."

"I'll admit, a lot of politicians these days could use some work but that doesn't mean they're all bad. Some things are just beyond their control. That's just how things work these days."

"They are, actually."

"Well, that's your opinion; I won't argue with you on it. You know, it's funny; you kind of remind me of a friend of mine."

"Oh yeah, how so?"

"Well... uh, you're mysterious, you talk down on some things and you're uh... pretty."

The Girl's eyes widened and her face let out another bright red blush.

"You mean the dark one with the cloak?" She asked.

"Yeah, her."

"Oh... yeah."

"And then there's the eyeliner and the necklace and-"

"Would you shut up?" She shouted, annoyed. "I get it, okay? I'm goth, I admit it! Are you happy?"

"Take it easy, okay? I'm sorry." Predator said. "Look, I don't mean to be vague about you being goth. I was just curious, that's all. I didn't mean to offend you."

"Mm-hm, whatever."

"No, seriously. I don't criticize people for being different. There's nothing wrong with being different."

"People tend to get the wrong idea about goths." She said.

"I don't follow up with stereotypes. When I was a kid, I used to get made fun of for being… well, part-wild animal. I know how it feels to be an outcast, not having friends or anyone to trust."

"...It's fine. Don't worry about it."

"So... are we cool?" Predator asked, calmly.

"Mm-hm."

"Cool." Predator finished off his burger and stood up, grunting as he stretched his arms out. "Well, I guess I should be going. Thanks again for the sandwich. I'll pay you back sometime. Maybe… I could see you again tomorrow."

"Maybe."

"Okay well... see ya, then." Predator started to walk away.

"Luna."

"Huh?" Predator asked, confused.

"My name's Luna." She said, glancing back at him.

"Luna... I like that." Predator smiled. "Well it's nice to meet you, Luna."

She nodded with a small smile. Predator turned and jumped off the roof.

* * *

 _The Next Day_

Predator stepped into the living room with a small smile on his face. He hummed a catchy tune to himself as he headed towards the fridge.

"Well, somebody's in a good mood today." Cyborg smirked. He and BB were sitting at the table, playing their favorite card game.

"Mm-hm." Predator said, pulling out a plate of chicken and fries.

"Looks like you had a good night's sleep, too."

"Mm-hm."

"We heard you rescued a baby from a fire, dude." Beast Boy said. "Nice job."

"Mm-hm." Predator put his food in the microwave.

"Is that all you're gonna say the entire time?"

"Mm-hm." Predator smirked. "You know, I have a feeling today's gonna be a good day."

Cyborg and BB stared at him in shock.

"Who are you and what have you done with Predator?" Beast Boy.

"Good one." Predator ignored the comment.

Predator grabbed his now heated food from the microwave and sat at the table. Beast Boy and Cyborg looked at each other with raised eyebrows. Predator grabbed a fry and brought it to his mouth. Beast Boy suddenly jumped out of his seat and grabbed his head.

"What the heck are you-" Predator grunted as BB hysterically started pulling his head like some sort of mask.

"How do we know you're not just some maniac in a mask?" Beast Boy asked.

Predator growled as he forcefully grabbed his neck with a tight grip. He growled at him, his teeth now sharpened.

"Ack! Okay... okay, you're Predator." Beast Boy choked as Predator threw him back in his chair.

"Idiot. For once I'm in a good mood, and you're ruining it." Predator said, rubbing his jaw. "Am I not allowed to have a good day?"

"Well, yeah. It's just that-" Cyborg said.

"You're always in a bad mood." Beast Boy finished. "It's weird to see you in a good mood."

"Well, today's one of my better days." Predator said. "It's not a big deal, so just calm down about it. So… who's up for some video games?"

* * *

 _A While Later_

Predator looked over the city from above. So far, he observed nothing out of the ordinary. A smirk rose in his cheeks as he heard a pair of footsteps from behind.

"Didn't think I'd see you tonight." He said, looking back to see Luna approach him.

"Mm-hm." She said. "Anything out of the ordinary?"

"Not really. Why?"

"Let me join you."

"Say what?" Predator asked, surprised. "You're kidding, right?"

"Do I look like I'm kidding?"

"Well, no, it's just that... why?"

"Well, I'm bored for one thing. Second of all, after seeing what you did last night well... it gave me some thought."

"Well, that's flattering, but you can't just become a vigilante like that. It's tough work."

"Yeah, I get it. I've seen you guys in action; I get how it works."

Predator narrowed his eyebrows for a second until his ears suddenly picked up a scream from far off in the distance. He quickly looked down and quickly caught sight of a middle-aged woman being mugged by some petty thug. The man snatched her purse away and pushed her to the ground before taking off and running. Predator let out a growl as he glared fiercely at him.

"Luna, wait here for a second." He turned to see that she wasn't there anymore. "Luna?"

There was a loud grunt which caused him to look back down.

"You've gotta be kidding me." He mumbled, wide-eyed.

Luna had punched the thief in the stomach, causing him to grunt and kneel forward. She kicked him in the skull and punched him in the nose. The thug glared at her and threw a punch, but she swiftly avoided it. She grabbed his arm and swung him against the wall. She kicked him in the stomach and then in the face again, knocking him out.

Predator stared in disbelief as she picked up the purse and gave it to the woman. The woman gave her a gratuitous smile.

"Oh, thank you, thank you so much." The woman thanked. She pulled a few dollars out of the purse and handed them to Luna. "Please take this."

Luna nodded and took the money, and the woman went on her way. Predator jumped from the building and landed behind her. Luna gave him a cocky smirk and placed a hand on her hip.

"So?" She asked.

"Fine, you can tag along." Predator sighed. "But don't get any ideas, okay?"

"Whatever you say, Stripes."

The burglar groaned as he slowly came to. He gasped loudly once he caught sight of the two newly declared partners.

"Oh, shut up." Luna said, kicking him in the face and knocking him out, again.

"Nice work…partner." Predator said.

 ** _To Be Continued_**


	12. Chapter 12

**_Chapter 12_**

 _2 Weeks Later_

Predator sniffed the air as he carefully followed Luna's scent across the rooftops. He eventually reached her location and spotted her in an alleyway; she was standing toe-to-toe with a guy holding a knife.

The man grunted as he lunged at her. She swiftly stepped to the side and kneed him in the stomach, grabbing his arm and holding him in an armlock. As he howled in pain, she kicked him in the face and finished him with a roundhouse kick.

"You always know how to knock a guy out." Predator said as he landed behind her. She jumped as she looked at him in surprise.

"Oh, hey. Thanks." She said, blowing a strand of hair out of her face.

"So what'd you bust him for?"

"Breaking into a car."

"You sure showed him." Predator commented. "You tell the cops?"

"Almost." Luna said, pulling out her phone.

A few minutes later, Predator and Luna sat on another rooftop as the cops carried the man into the car and drove off.

"Such a beautiful sight, don't you think?" Predator asked.

"Not as beautiful as their reaction." Luna chuckled.

"Nice work there… partner." Predator said. Luna smiled at him with a light blush.

"Can I ask you something?" She asked.

"Shoot."

"Why do you do it? I mean, why do you go around dressed as a vigilante and beating up criminals? Did something happen to you that brought you to this point or is it for… 'other' purposes?"

Predator looked down, biting his lip.

"Well..." He started. "I don't do it for popularity and I definitely don't do it out of revenge, but... when I was 10, my dad was killed in the accident that turned me into... this. It was… a really painful and difficult part of my past that I try so hard to forget about. The reason I do this is because... I believe the world should be a better place. There are rotten people out there who spoil it with conflict and hatred. I want to make it a better place for myself, others, and those I truly care about. That's why I do what I do."

"Did they ever find the guy who killed your dad?"

"No, they didn't." Predator answered. "His death is one of the reasons I fight."

"You know… crime is everywhere, Stripes. It's not something you can take on alone." Luna said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I know... but one person can make a difference."

"I admire your enthusiasm. You know before I met you, I condemned the outside world, but… it's been different lately. What I'm trying to say is: I'll support you in whatever it is that you do."

Predator smiled and felt a blush covering his cheeks. Her eyes sparkled in the moonlight while her hair blew against the wind. He suddenly started feeling his heart rate rise.

"Luna...can I...tell you something?" He asked, nervously.

"Hm?"

"You know I...really care about you, right?" He said as he scooted closer to her.

"Yeah?"

"You're very important to me. If anything were to happen to you, I probably wouldn't live with myself."

"Does that apply to when you attacked me?" She smirked, also scooting closer to him.

"I really wish you hadn't brought that up."

"I know, I'm kidding. But yeah, I...feel the same way too." She said, her blush growing darker. "You're the only friend I've ever had and...you make me feel special."

"You're always special to me." Predator said.

"So tell me something." She said.

"What?"

"Do you like me?" She quietly asked as she leaned towards him.

"Yeah. I do." He answered as he leaned in close to her.

"Good... because I like you, too."

"You do?"

"Mm-hm."

Predator placed his hand on top of hers as his heart beat wildly. He closed his eyes as they grew closer and closer.

"Wait..." She mumbled quietly and placed her hand against Predator's lips to stop him.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Nothing's wrong, it's just... will you do something for me, first?"

"What is it?"

"Will you… take off your mask?"

"What?" He replied in shock. "Why?"

"If I'm… if we are meant to be, then I need to know that we can trust each other. I want us to be as honest. And I want to start by seeing you... the real you." Luna moved her hands up to his mask.

Predator held his breath for a moment as she reached for the edges. After a moment of hesitation, he reached up and grabbed her hands, stopping her.

"What's wrong?" Luna asked, concerned.

"Luna... I can't." Predator said as he stood up.

"Why not?" Luna stood up with him as he turned away from her.

"I just... can't."

"Why not? Are you hiding something?"

"No."

"Do you not trust me?"

"No."

"Are you afraid of something?"

"No." He repeated, growing frustrated.

"Is the mask more important than me or your friends?"

"No!"

"Then what is it!?" She yelled, angrily.

"Nothing, I just... it's complicated, alright? I just can't do it!"

"I don't believe it." Luna scoffed. "You're letting a stupid mask dictate your feelings and emotions?"

"I don't let the mask control my feelings. It's just for… it's just... I have it for my own reasons."

"You're just using that mask as a shield! You think that it's more important than those who really care about you?"

"It's not like that!" Predator shouted. "I'm not taking off the mask, and that's the end of it. And I _certainly_ don't need anyone _nagging_ me about it, either!"

Luna's expression shifted from anger to hurt as her head slowly dropped, her hair now preventing him from seeing her eyes. Predator's annoyance shifted to remorse once he noticed a teardrop fall down her cheek, leaving a black trail of mascara down her face. Predator let out a quiet sigh as he slowly approached her.

"Luna... I'm sorry." He said.

Luna quickly turned away from him as she began to sob audibly.

"I didn't mean it like that." Predator insisted, apologetically. "You're more important to me than some stupid mask, I promise."

Luna continued to cry while still looking away.

"Please." Predator begged her. "I'm sorry I said that, I didn't mean to call you annoying. I really do care about you, and I want you to trust me. Don't be mad at me, please. Luna, I'm telling you, you mean more to me than you can possibly imagine. Just please give me another chance. I'll make it up to you, I promise."

Luna stifled a heavy sniffle as she wiped her eyes in an attempt to stop crying.

"Please…" Predator said, again.

"Okay." She replied, choking back a hot sob.

"Can I see you tomorrow night?"

"S-sure."

"Can I… see your face one more time before I go?"

"I… I think you should just go." Luna said, voice breaking.

"…Alright..." Predator said as he looked away, bleakly. "You're right. I'm… I'm sorry I'm being a jerk."

Predator turned away to leave. He hesitated, looking back towards Luna, who still kept her back to him. He waited for a moment to see if she would look back at him… but she didn't. Predator sighed and resigned himself. He leapt over the side of the building and jumped over to the next, and continued on before disappearing into the night.

Luna finally looked back towards the direction Predator took off in. Her face was puffy and covered in streams of her runny make-up. She rubbed the remainder of the tears from her eyes and looked down at the ground, despairingly.

* * *

 _The Following Night_

Predator tracked Luna's scent throughout the city. He decided he was going to show himself to her, no matter how bad he didn't want to... and he _really_ didn't want to. But he also didn't want to lose her.

A feeling of discomfort washed over him as he followed the trail towards the Red Light District. The scent led him to a rather shady-looking building with a flashing neon sign with the image of a pink bunny on it. It was clearly an adult-oriented place.

Predator jumped down, landing on the side of the restaurant and peaked through the window. Inside he could see four tables on each side of the interior. There were about 12 thug-type guys seated across the bar, all laughing, drinking beer, or playing pool.

There were seven waitresses—some of whom looked a little young—all dressed in tight, sleeveless bunny-suits. Predator searched the area a little more for Luna, but there was no sign of her. He thought about leaving before he heard one of the thugs yell:

"Waitress! Another cold one over here!"

"Coming right up." A familiar voice responded.

Predator's eyes widened as he searched for the source. His eyes stopped on one of the waitresses wearing a black bunny-suit, carrying a tray of empty glasses back to the bar.

"Oh, no way…" Predator said to himself. "Luna, no…"

Luna wore the exact same outfit as all of the other waitresses. The only thing that stood out was her necklace, her eyeliner and her net covered legs and black heels that went up to her calves.

Predator couldn't help but watch as Luna brought a fresh beer to the thug.

"Thanks, cutie." The guy said with a flirtatious smile.

"Just shout if you need anything." Luna said as she quickly turned and walked back to the bar.

"I intend to." He smirked as he glanced at her rear end.

"That's it." Predator growled ferociously as he jumped down from the window and walked around to the front entrance to the building, only to be stopped by the bouncer.

"You're not getting in here, kid-" He said before Predator grabbed him by the shirt and landed a headbutt, knocking him out straight to the ground.

Predator cracked his knuckles and kicked open the door. Everyone in the bar jumped up and turned their attention to him.

"Hey, who the _heck_ is _this_ kid?" One of the thugs shouted.

"It's one of those freakin' Titans. Get the little freak!" Another shouted.

The sounds of punches, grunts, screams, broken bones and glass went on for several minutes before finally stopping.

Predator panted as he stared down at the large group of felled thugs. His eyes glowed bright yellow as he glanced back at the frightened waitresses. Most of them were backed against the wall, all except for Luna, who just stared at him indifferently. Predator walked past them towards the bartender cowering behind the counter, and lifted him up and pinned him against the wall.

"You run this place?" Predator growled.

"Y-yeah, why?" The bartender said, nervously.

"You like hiring underage girls and dressing them up like Playmates!?"

"What? No! I swear they're all 18! I wouldn't hire minors!"

"Well, _she_ certainly isn't 18!" Predator pointed towards Luna. "What's your excuse there!?"

"I didn't know-!"

"Shut up! You're gonna shut this place down. If it's still open tomorrow night, I'm shutting you down, got me?"

The bartender whimpered and nodded shakily. Predator punched him in the face and knocked him out before letting him slide down to the floor. He turned back to Luna and the waitresses.

"Go home." He said to all of them. "Find something better."

"You didn't have to make a complete mess." Luna shouted at him, angrily.

Predator ignored the comment, picking her up at the waist and putting her over his shoulder.

"Hey! Put me down!" Luna yelled as she started beating against his backside. "Let me go!"

Predator continued to ignore the protest as he carried her outside and into the alley behind the bar.

"I said, let go of me, you crazy…" Luna shouted before Predator finally set her down. "What is wrong with you!?"

"What's wrong with me?" He shouted back. "What is wrong with _you_? You work in a dive bar, dressed as some skanky rabbit, parading around and serving drinks to the city's worst criminals… and you ask what _my_ problem is?"

"So what? I need a job to make money. It's not like I get everything handed to me on a silver platter."

"How did you even get this job? You're 16!"

"Ever hear of a fake ID? Yeah, you should try it."

"What was all that talk about honesty yesterday? Was that just a joke?"

"Don't you talk to me about honesty, Mr. Masked-Vigilante." She retorted.

"I _wanted_ to be honest with you. All I've thought about today was _you_. I was going to take off my mask for you, and I show up to find you like _this._ "

"Well you won't have to worry about this anymore since you just cost me my job."

"Don't get mad at me about that. You can do so much better than this. What would your parents say-"

"Don't you _ever_ bring up my parents!" She shouted. "They don't care and neither do I."

"Well, then what about me? I care about you. Shouldn't that count?"

"You don't care about me. You just want to control me and tell me how I should live my life. I don't need someone like you in my life."

Luna turned and tried to walk away, only for Predator to catch her by the arm and stop her.

"Are you _nuts_!?" He said. "I _do_ care about you, and I just want to help you so you don't ruin your life!"

"I don't need help from a freak!" Luna unexpectedly slapped him in the face, causing him to release her and turn away from her.

Predator looked away from her for a moment, bringing his hand up to his face where she hit him. Luna immediately realized that she had gone too far.

"Predator, I-" She spoke.

"No." He interrupted in a low tone, lacking the anger that had been present before. "Forget it. I'm done."

"W-what does that mean?"

"It means it's over. We're over. You don't want me in your life; you've made that pretty clear. So I won't bother you anymore. Do whatever you want."

"B-but I thought that... I thought we were-" She said, voice breaking.

"I guess we were both wrong about that." Predator said as he turned away and jumped up the wall of the building, and climbed up to the top.

"W-Well... fine!" Luna shouted at him. "I never needed you, anyway!"

At that moment, it started to rain. Luna continued to stare upwards, even as the water soaked her hair and clothes and her make-up began to run down her face.

"But… I wanted you." She said, quietly.

* * *

 _Titans Tower_

Predator stepped through the elevator, his combat suit soaking wet and his head hung down in frustration and despair. He was immediately met by the scent of rancid socks and week old undershirts.

"Stinkball!" Cyborg and Beast Boy exclaimed gleefully as Cyborg held out a ball of smelly clothes.

"It's about time you showed up, dude." Beast Boy said. "Raven didn't wanna be referee so we thought-"

He was interrupted by Predator as he grunted angrily and sliced the ball to pieces with his claws. Beast Boy and Cyborg stared at him in shock and dismay.

"This isn't one of your good days, I take it?" Cyborg asked.

"Just leave me alone." Predator said as he walked away from them and into his room.

"Well, it was fun while it lasted." Beast Boy sulked.

* * *

 _The Next Day_

Luna walked through the streets, the look on her face filled with nothing but despair and broody. Her eyes indicated she had been crying. Since the other night, she started to feel worse than ever. She just lost her one and only best friend. She couldn't blame him for leaving her anyway. It wasn't that she didn't want to tell him, it was that she knew how brash and protective he could be. Now because of her, it's over.

The rhythmic sound of a group of footsteps shook Luna from her thoughts. She glanced back and noticed four shady-looking men wearing dark clothing and bandannas. She knew they were following her.

She tried to act normally and turned forward and continued walking at a faster pace, only to hear them walking faster as well. She stopped suddenly, only to hear them stop walking, too. Luna knew she was in trouble. She hesitated for a moment before taking off running. The guys immediately followed her as she ran into an alleyway, only to find a dead end. She turned and glared at the four gang members slowly approaching her. We'll call them Hal, Stuart, Ricky and Don.

"What do you want?" Luna asked them.

"Nothin' much." Stuart said. "We just have a little question for you, that's all."

"We just wanted to know where we can find your boyfriend this time of night." Don said.

"He's not my boyfriend." Luna said. "There was never anything between us."

"That's not the answer we're looking for, Princess." Ricky said. "Our boss says you're the tough guy's girlfriend, and that you can tell us where to find him."

"Well, you're just wasting your time because I don't know where he is."

"Well, I guess we'll just have to break a few of your bones, and you'll have to hope you scream loud enough so that he can hear you." Hal said, menacingly. Of course, they all sounded menacing.

"You guys are making a big mistake."

"Not as big as-oof!"

Luna roundhouse-kicked him in the stomach and sent him over backwards to the ground.

"Get her!" Stuart shouted as he and the other thugs lunged at her.

Luna ducked between them kicked Don in the face again before he could stand back up. The impact broke his nose, causing him to recoil in pain. Luna turned back to the rest of them, just as Stuart charged at her. She swiftly brushed past him, only for Ricky and Hal to charge at her and grab her arms and legs. Luna growled as she struggled against them; they had her restrained too tightly.

"Don't let her go, now." Stuart said as he reached into his coat and pulled out a mag light that had been strapped to his waist.

"You plan on blinding me with that?" Luna taunted him.

"Well, ya see…" Stuart said as he stepped towards her. "I'm not allowed to carry a gun."

Luna closed her eyes as Stuart swung, striking her in the side of the head with the top of the light. She groaned as she felt her ears ring and an intense pain rang out in her head. She could feel blood running down her face and neck.

Stuart swung the light and hit Luna in the same spot again. She barely felt the second one as it nearly knocked her out. Her knees buckled as she began to slump over.

"Whoa, whoa." Ricky said. "I don't think you're hitting her hard enough if she's falling asleep on us."

"I think you're right there, Ricky." Stuart said. "Maybe you two should take over."

"Certainly, Stuart, old pal." Ricky said as he grabbed Luna by her hair and turned her around to face him. "You hear that, Princess? Hal and I are gonna be taking over for our friend Stuart. Now be a good girl and try to stay awake for every second of it."

Stuart walked over to Don and helped lift him up off the ground.

"You'll be fine, pal." Stuart said. "Sit back for a minute and watch the fun."

Hal punched Luna in the rips, causing her to gasp and reach for the pained area. Ricky turned her so that she faced him and kneed her in the stomach several times, eventually causing her to buckle over and fall to the ground. Hal raised his boot and brought it down onto Luna's left arm, nearly snapping it in half from the force.

"That's it." Stuart cheered them on. "We don't want her trying to fight back, now do we, boys?"

Hal and Ricky began mercilessly stomping and kicking at Luna as she lay helpless on the ground, too weak to even summon the strength to defend herself. Each blow sent a new wave of pain throughout her body, which seemed to slow time to a crawl. Luna tried to distance herself from the world, but the pain brought her right back. She thought that she had been lying on the ground for hours, where in reality she had been there for just a few seconds.

"Alright, alright." Stuart called. "I think she's had enough. Give her a break and pick her up."

Ricky and Hal grabbed Luna by her arms and picked her up from the ground. She tried to ignore the shattering pain in her broken left arm, but couldn't help but cry out in protest as Hal bent it out of contortion.

"Hold her still." Stuart ordered as he grabbed Luna by the hair and lifted her up to face him. "Let's try this, again: where is your boyfriend?"

Luna gazed back at him with disinterest as she spit the blood out of her mouth and onto his face. Stuart growled as he wiped it off, and grabbed her by the neck

"Don't say we weren't trying to be nice." He said. "Your turn, Don."

Stuart stepped aside as Don walked up to them, fuming angry. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a switchblade, flicking it open.

"You're gonna pay for what you did to my nose, you little brat." Don said.

Luna closed her eyes as a black teardrop fell from her eye. She felt her life flashed before her eyes, and only one memory came to mind that she regretted…

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

"Hey, dipstick." A familiar, gritty voice called from out of nowhere.

Luna opened her eyes as the four gang members looked up towards the source. Stuart was suddenly met with a rock hard punch, sending him flying through the air and colliding into a garbage can.

"What was that?!" Don shouted as he turned away from Luna. The others dropped her to the ground as they searched for their attacker.

Predator glared at the three other gang members as his eyes shifted into those of a jaguar while his fingers shifted to claws and his teeth grew sharp. He emerged from the shadows and the thugs immediately jumped and turned towards him.

"It's the freak! Get 'em!" Ricky shouted as he and Don charged at him.

Predator charged and landed a flying kick to Don, pushing him back. He followed along with an angry, relentless series of punches. Don attempted to cover his face to no avail.

Ricky pulled out a knife and ran at him, only to be surprised by a claw to chest. Predator leaped up and connected a powerful hook to his jaw, followed by another punch and an uppercut. Ricky threw a punch, only for Predator to avoid it. Ricky turned and was immediately met by another claw, swiping against his face. The impact left three vicious scars and he flew back to the ground unconscious. Predator turned to see Don charging at him again.

"Why you little-" Don was cut off when Predator grabbed him by the jacket and slammed him against the wall.

Predator suddenly felt a sharp pain in his abdomen and looked down to see a knife sticking out of his stomach.

"How does that feel, you son of a-"

Predator swiftly punched Don in the face and slammed his head against the wall again, knocking him out. He pulled the knife out of his stomach and his healing factor went to work, patching up the wound in seconds. He turned back and stared down at all the critically-injured gang members. His eyes fixed on Hal, who was hysterically trembling over in the corner, trying to crawl away.

Predator quickly walked over to him and grabbed him by the back of his shirt, lifting him up face-to-face.

"Run." Predator growled in a low voice. "Run far away and hope I don't find you. Because if I do, you're dead."

Predator dropped Hal to the ground for him to make a mad dash out of the alley, and never to be seen or heard from again.

Predator's ears perked up as he heard Luna groan. He turned and knelt down beside her, nearly breaking down from the sight of her all bloody and bruised.

"It's okay." Predator said in a comforting tone. "I'm here to help you, okay? Everything's gonna be fine."

Luna gazed at Predator, as her body became heavy and her vision soon began to fade. She closed her eyes as Predator's voice became more and more distant.

"Come on, stay with me, Luna. Luna!"

 _ **To Be Continued**_


	13. Chapter 13: Black Hearts

**_Chapter 13: Black Hearts_**

* * *

Luna groaned as she stirred in bed. She winced as she felt an unbearable pressure on the side of her head. As she tried to raise her arm to feel it, she was met with a piercing pain in her arm, which made her cry out. She noticed her left arm was in a cast, and she could feel most of her body was numb. She moved her right hand over the bruised sites. The memories came flooding back in a haze: the gangsters, the attack… and Predator coming to her rescue.

She turned to look around and observe her surroundings. She was in a white room surrounded by medical equipment; a hospital, for sure. To her left, she saw Predator sitting in a chair, fast asleep. She smiled as she heard him tiredly groan as he slowly awoke. His eyes popped wide open when he saw her.

"Hey, you." She said, quietly.

"Hey!" Predator exclaimed as he jumped from the chair and rushed over to her bedside. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She answered calmly. "I'm a tough girl, remember? What about you?"

"I'm alright. Of course I am."

"Are you sure? Because you're trembling and you look like you haven't slept for days."

"I'm okay. I was… I was just worried, that's all. Those jerk-offs really hurt you. I was afraid that you were..."

"It's okay, Stripes. I'm fine." She winced again from a throe of pain. "For the most part."

"I'm sorry." Predator whispered, looking down.

"What for?"

"I abandoned you. I left you alone when I should've stayed by your side... even when you didn't want me to be. Those guys attacked you because of me. And now you-"

She placed two fingers against his lips and shushed him.

"I said that it's okay." She said. "I should be the sorry one. I lied to you, I put you in a bad position, and I hurt you. You had every right to be mad at me."

"I wasn't mad, I was scared. I didn't want you to get hurt. That's why I did what I did; because I really care about you."

"Well... I'm glad you did, actually. I was looking for an excuse to quit, anyway."

"Well, you should have mentioned it to me when we first met and I would've ransacked that dive bar in a snap."

They both smiled and chuckled.

"Why did you come back, anyway?" Luna asked.

"What do you mean?"

"After everything that happened, the last thing I expected was for you to forgive me and... be nice. So... what's up with that?"

"Like I said, I care about you."

"I…" Luna blushed. "I care about you, too."

Predator leaned towards her until the door suddenly opened and one of the doctors stepped in.

"Good evening, Ms. Rose." He said. "And you are…?"

"Predator." He answered. "I'm her friend."

"Right." Dr. James scrutinized Predator's outfit and appearance. "Well, I see that Ms. Rose is awake now. That's a good thing."

"Ms. Rose is my mother." Luna said. "I'm just Luna."

"A-ha, I see. My mistake."

"So, how is she, doc?" Predator asked.

"Well, given the circumstances, I'd say she's lucky to be alive. You're the young man who saved her, is that correct?"

"Yes."

"Then it's fair to say that you did indeed save her life. In most cases, gang attacks are fatal. Those ruffians are just so cruel and ruthless. In just 15 seconds, they can beat a man or woman within an inch of their life. You got there in just the nick of time."

"So… as far as her injuries go?"

"Right." Dr. James took out a sheet from his file. "She sustained massive trauma to the left hemisphere near the temporal lobe. As well as a broken left arm, three broken ribs, and a series of bruises across her back and sides."

"That reminds me: can I have some morphine?" Luna asked. "My head is killing me."

"Just press the button on your remote there."

"Oh, yeah." Luna said elatedly as she pressed the button. "So I can leave now?"

"Oh no, we can't let you go right now. You'll have to stay here for a few more days and get some rest. At least until we're certain that you're out of the danger zone. If I let you go early, I could be sued for malpractice." Dr. James chuckled.

"Eh, don't worry about that, doc." Luna said. "I can't afford to sue you. As a matter of fact, I'm pretty sure that I can't afford the bill you're gonna give me later. So, fair's fair, just let me go now."

"Luna, come on, now." Predator said. "I think you should listen to him. I mean, he is a doctor. You were in a terrible accident and you need to stay here for a while, until you've properly recovered."

"Oh, come on." Luna whined. "I'm fine, really."

She winced and reached for her forehead.

"Oh, you'll be getting those quite frequently for the next few weeks." Dr. James said. "I'll write you up a prescription for oxycodone."

"Luna, please." Predator pleaded with her. "Just do what they say and stay a while. Do it for me?"

"Okay." Luna sighed, defeated.

"Trust me, you'll be out of here before you know it." Predator said, encouragingly. "Anyway, I have to get going soon. Promise me you won't do anything stupid?"

"How can I when you're taking all the stupid with you?"

"Yeah, that's my sweet girl."

"Very well, then." Dr. James said. "The nurse should be here with your medicine, soon. You get some rest, I'll be back to check on you in a few hours."

"Okay." Luna frowned, meekly.

"Oh, also, we tried to contact your parents but we've received no answer. Is there something wrong at home?"

"No." Luna answered indifferently. "My parents are away on business."

Predator narrowed his eyes at her as he listened to her heart beating rapidly.

"Well then, if you need anything, just call." Dr. James said.

"Thanks, Doc."

* * *

 _4 Days Later_

"I can walk just fine, you know." Luna said as Predator carried her in his arms through the street, towards her home.

"Yeah, but you're not really in the state to stop _me_ from carrying you." He said.

"What are you saying, you enjoy it?"

"Don't tell me you don't enjoy it."

"I don't know. I guess I could get used to having my own personal man-servant."

A few minutes went by and they arrived at a medium sized apartment building with a fire escape ladder going up the side.

"This is it?" Predator asked.

"Mm-hm. Just take the fire escape to my room. The window should be open."

"Okay, hold on." Predator jumped all the way to the top of it. He set her down, allowing her to open the window and jump right in.

"Are you coming in?" She asked.

"You mean in there... in your room?" He asked, apprehensively.

"Well, all the other rooms are taken, so yes, my room."

"Uh, I can...that is if you-"

"Just get in here." She interrupted, annoyed.

Predator obeyed and quickly analyzed her room. It was a purple-wall painted bedroom with a few Marilyn Manson posters, a laptop, and a queen-sized bed with a black and purple comforter.

"You weren't expecting a room full of Pretty, Pretty Pegasus toys and a vanity mirror covered with pictures of the cast of High School Musical, were you?" She asked

"No, not at all. I admire your tastes."

"Mm-hm." She muttered as she plopped down on her bed. "Ugh... there is nothing like your own bed. That hospital was such a drag."

"It was that bad, huh?"

"Have you ever had to stay at a hospital? It's torture."

"Not since I was 10." Predator said as he took a seat next to her. "Not since the accident."

"Oh, right..." Luna said, apologetically. "Sorry."

"Eh, don't be."

"Okay, so… what was your life like before the accident?"

"The same as everyone else, really. A 'normal' life full of toys, school and parents."

"What were your parents like?"

"My parents were... well, the best parents a kid could ask for, really. But then my mom caught cancer and my dad started working so hard to find a cure for her that I never saw him that much. It got really depressing not being able to see them, but… I regret feeling that way about him every day. I know he meant well but..."

Predator looked down for a moment, covering his eyes with his hands. He sighed as he tried to contain himself.

"Sorry." He said. "It was a hard time for us. We both loved my mother and we couldn't bear to lose her. My dad brought me to his lab one day, after he found the cure. He wanted to spend more time with me because he felt so terrible about… well, pushing me away in his effort to save my mom. He wanted us to be a family again."

Luna reached over and put her hand on his shoulder. He looked over to her in surprise.

"It's okay." She said. "What happened?"

"My dad left the lab for a minute." Predator's tone shifted to underlying anger. "I was there when someone came in… some thug with black and gray hair—he came into the lab and he sabotaged my dad's samples. He left and when my dad came back, he started back up with the tests, and… well, now he's gone, my mom's gone, and I'm… this."

"Did you ever find the guy?"

"No, but I'm not gonna stop looking. I don't like talking about it but, after everything we've been through, I feel like you deserved to know."

"Thanks." Luna smiled warmly. "I'm glad we're at the point of honesty. I guess… well, considering your parents… I guess you deserve to hear about mine."

"I'd like to. You didn't sound very honest when you told the doctor they were out of town."

"I didn't want to mention it in front of a stranger, but… when I was 8, my dad left for the army. I didn't see him that much, but he always called and told me he loved me. And my mom was always so happy, talking about how brave he was and how proud she was of him."

"Why were you embarrassed about telling the doctor that?" Predator asked, before silently realizing the answer to the question.

"Because he was Killed In Action." Luna explained, trying to stifle a whimper. "It was two years after he left."

"Hey, hey, it's okay." Predator whispered soothingly as she placed her head against his chest. "It's okay. You don't have to say anymore, if you don't want to."

"I spoke to him the day before it happened." Luna continued. "It was just two weeks before he was going to come home."

Luna broke into tears and found herself unable to continue speaking. Predator wrapped his arms around her in an effort to comfort her.

"I'm sorry." He said. "That's awful."

Luna pulled away, trying to compose herself.

"Yeah." She replied, wiping away her tears. "Anyway, my dad was killed in the line of duty. It had a bad effect on us. My mother started drinking, and she started ignoring me. She kind of resented me. I guess because she blamed me for my dad."

"Why would you think that?"

"My dad was one of those dads who spoiled me. But no matter how hard he tried, I ended up wanting more from him. I feel like he got tired of it and used the army as an excuse to get away from me. I wouldn't blame him, really."

"Luna, I don't think that's the case." He argued. "Your dad loved you and I think he left because he wanted to make you proud. He would never have abandoned you for the good of it all. And your mom, I think she's just hurting."

"How can you say that? She practically abandoned me and forced me to look after myself. If anyone should be hurting, it's _me_."

"You lost an important person and she's suffering because of it. You know how I felt when I almost lost you to those guys?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, it's almost the same thing. When I lost my parents I pushed everyone away. It was a really dark place, and knowing that I could've lost you almost brought me back in that position. I don't want that to happen again. What I'm saying is: I know what it's like to lose a loved one. Your mother's in a dark place and she's still trying to get out of it. Yeah, it's been years but, you just gotta give her more time. Trust me."

"I guess I'll try." Luna sighed as she rested her head back on his shoulder.

"I think your dad would be proud that you've made it this far."

"Mm-hm."

"You know it's weird." He smirked.

"What?"

"We both lost loved ones at such young ages and gone through crazy changes and now look where we are."

"Sounds like fate." She joked.

He nodded, looking down and smiling at her.

"I'm glad I have you." He said.

"Me too." She smiled back.

Predator leaned in towards her until she placed two fingers against his lips.

"What?" He asked.

"The mask, first."

"Luna..."

"Come on, after all we've ever been through, can't you trust me with this?"

"Alright." He sighed, standing up

Luna stood up and approached him. She slowly reached up for the edge with her free hand. He flinched as she gripped onto it. He managed to contain himself from intervening in any way. She narrowed her eyebrows as she slowly took off his mask, revealing his scar and bright red eyes. Her eyes widened in surprise as he stared at the ground.

"You're scared...aren't you?" He mumbled.

"Why would I be?"

"You mean... you're not scared?" He asked, surprised.

"Not at all. Actually..." She felt his scar as she stared deep into his eyes. "I think they're beautiful."

Predator looked down again, biting his lip.

"Zachary." He mumbled, silently.

"What?" She asked.

"Zachary. That's my name; my real name."

"I like that." She wrapped her arm around his neck. "It's nice to finally meet you, Zachary."

She pressed her lips against his as he did the same. Predator practically felt his heart melt, feeling the tenderness. He placed his hands on her waist, pulling her closer and deepening the kiss. They found themselves back on the bed. Luna lied on her back as Predator balanced himself on top, careful not to fall on her. The kiss grew more passionate to the point where Luna dropped his mask on the sheets. Predator wrapped his hand around hers while she did the same.

* * *

 _A Few Hours Later_

The sudden noise of rapid beeping shook Predator from his slumber. He groaned as he tiredly grabbed his communicator and placed it against his ear.

"Ugh, hello?" He mumbled tiredly.

 _"Helloooooooo! Where the heck are you!?"_ Beast Boy shouted from the other line. Predator cringed as he rubbed his ear.

"Jeez, what do you want, Beast Boy?" He replied, aggravated. He sat up, seeing that the time on Luna's clock read 8:49 pm.

 _"It's movie-night, dude and we've been waiting for almost an hour! Have you been sleeping all day or something?"_

"I just got caught up in something. Look, I'll be there in a few minutes, just chill out, okay?"

Predator put away the com and shook his head. He smiled as he glanced back at Luna still asleep; he smiled and kissed her on the cheek. He got out of bed, picking his mask up off the floor and putting it on, and stepped up to the window out to the fire escape.

"Aren't you gonna say goodnight?" Luna asked.

Predator turned around in surprise to see her sitting up out of bed.

"Eh, sorry, sweetheart." Predator replied, scratching his head. "I didn't wanna wake you."

"Mm-hm."

"But yeah, I have to go. My friends are calling."

"Well, aren't you going to kiss me goodbye?"

"Sure." Predator smiled and leaned in to give her a quick kiss. As he pulled away, he looked down at the cast around her arm. "Are you going to be okay?"

"I'll be fine." She insisted. "I'm a tough girl, remember?"

"Well… I'll call you later tonight?"

"You'll call me _every_ night."

"You got it. Goodnight."

"Goodnight." She started to walk away until he grabbed her shoulder.

"Hey... I love you." He said with a cheerful smile.

"I love you too." She said, kissing him once more. "Now get out of here."

* * *

 _Titans Tower_

Predator stepped into the living room, a gleeful smirk on his cheeks. From out of nowhere, Starfire shot towards him and grabbed his head.

"What are you-?"

She pulled him close and stared deep into his eyes while he stared back in shock and discomfort. After a few seconds, she dropped him and gasped loudly in surprised.

"This is glorious!" Starfire exclaimed, ecstatically.

"What is?" Predator snapped, massaging his jaw.

"You have found the light in your life!"

"I found the what?"

"Tamaranians can tell when a person is experiencing love interests through eye contact. I believe on Earth, it is called 'women's intuition'."

"That black smudge on your mouth is a giveaway, too." Cyborg chuckled.

"What?!" Predator frantically wiped his mouth and saw the black smudge.

"That explains why you've been so strange lately." Cyborg said as he and the others approached them.

Predator stared at them and sighed in defeat.

"Okay, fine. I admit it." Predator gave in. "I have a girlfriend."

"Admitting you have a problem is the first step towards resolving it." Beast Boy said before Raven elbowed him in the ribs.

"Please, tell me: who is she? What's her name? Is she cute? What's she like?" Starfire asked, hysterically.

"Uh... her name's Luna." Predator said, nervously. "She's cute, and… well, kind of shy."

"Why didn't you just tell us?" Cyborg asked.

"It's complicated. We had a few problems, but everything's fine, now."

"So, when do we get to meet her?" Robin asked.

"I don't know. She did just get out of the hospital, and-"

"Hospital? What happened?" Starfire asked.

"She was attacked by a couple of jerks the other day. She's okay, now."

"I'll be honest, man, I can't believe you have a girlfriend." Cyborg commented.

"Yeah, so what movie are we watching?" Predator asked as he and the others—except for Beast Boy—sat on the couch.

"I'm glad you asked." Beast Boy said with a cheeky smirk as he dramatically pulled out a disc case. "Wicked Scary Part: II!"

The other Titans blankly stared at him.

"If you thought Part 1 was scary, then you're gonna freak when you get a glimpse of this. This movie is twice the horror, twice the gore, and twice the screams. And this one's guaranteed to be cursed, too!"

The rest of the Titans sat there in indifferent silence.

"Pretty scary, huh, Pred?" Beast Boy slid over to Predator and nudged his shoulder.

"Terrifying." Predator said, disinterested. "Isn't this movie still playing at the theater?"

"Uh, no…" Beast Boy stood up, rubbing his forehead and pressed 'Play' on the remote.

* * *

A half-hour later, Starfire had her arm wrapped around Robin's shoulder; Cyborg and Beast Boy stared at the movie wide eyed in terror; while Raven blankly stared at the screen; and Predator rested his head on his hand.

"How much longer is this going to be on for?" Predator asked, bored.

"Another hour." Cyborg answered.

"Great, I'll be dead, then."

"I'm sure you'd rather be with your girlfriend, right?" Beast Boy smirked.

"Shut up."

* * *

 ** _To Be Continued_**


End file.
